Swiss LithoClast® Products
Swiss Lithoclast lithotripsy
Swiss Lithoclast lithotripsy is an intracorporeal procedure which uses an advanced air pressure system to form the shock wave energy needed to fragment stones in the kidney, ureter or bladder. The method produces a powerful shock wave transferred precisely from the probe to the stones. The fragmented urinary stones can then be expelled along with the urine.
Swiss LithoClast technology can be perfectly combined with EMS ultrasonic lithotripsy for faster disintegration of calculi, efficient suction, shorter treatment duration and complete removal of the calculi.
With over 10,000 Swiss LithoClast devices in daily use, Swiss-based EMS is the world’s largest supplier of intracorporeal shock wave lithotripters.
The advantages of Swiss LithoClast Lithotripsy in a nutshell:
• Minimally invasive
• Shortened hospital stays
• No open surgery
• Reduced pain and patient discomfort
• No harm to tissue
• Complete stone removal in one procedure
Science & Technology
A precisely controlled burst of compressed air is used to generate ballistic energy, a form of energy produced by the movement of a projectile. Once the projectile is in contact with another object, the ballistic energy is transferred to the object. Accelerated to a high speed, the metal projectile in the handpiece hits the head of a probe. Flexible objects preserve the momentum of the wave, but inflexible objects, such as a urinary stone, fragment on impact, not unlike the effect of a jackhammer. The result is stone fragmentation.
Urinary calculi generally form in the kidney and most often migrate into the ureter as ureteric stones. The simultaneous, combined application of pneumatic and ultrasonic lithotripsy has become a new standard for the percutaneous endoscopic disintegration of calculi without major complications such as perforation. Of course, the two lithotripsy methods can also be used separately, depending on the indication.
The advent and development of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has revolutionized the treatment of renal and ureteral calculi. However, many patients suffering from such stones are managed most effectively by direct-vision intracorporeal lithotripsy. Advantages of this technique include its simplicity, the reliability of complete stone removal in one procedure and ease of use for the urologist and other nursing personnel. In addition, there is no heat generated during activation, making it a safer treatment modality.
