Air Pockets Trapped During Routine Coupling in Dry Head Lithotripsy Can Significantly Decrease the Delivery of Shock Wave Energy

Abstract

These in vitro results suggest that coupling in lithotripsy can pose a significant barrier to the transmission of shock wave energy to the patient. Stone breakage was sensitive to air pockets at the coupling interface. Recoupling was particularly disruptive, suggesting that repositioning the patient could substantially degrade coupling quality. It seems reasonable that variability in the quality of coupling could contribute to variability in clinical outcomes.