Incidence of cavitation in the fragmentation process of extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptors

Abstract

The fragmentation mechanism occurring in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is investigated using a fiber optic stress sensing technique. With our technique, we demonstrate that cavitation is a major cause of fragmentation in ESWL procedures. When a target is placed in the operating area of the lithotriptor, two shock waves are detected. The first detected shock wave corresponds to the incoming shock wave generated by the lithotriptor. The second shock wave, detected some hundreds of microseconds later, is generated in situ. It results from the collapse of a cavitation bubble, formed by the reflection of the incoming shock wave at the target boundary. This cavitation induced shock wave generates the largest stress in the target area according to our stress sensing measurements.