Ultrasonic piezoelectric disintegrater

Claim 1

A biological stone disintegrator of the type having a wire basket projecting from the distal end of an insertion sheath with means to oscillate the basket, comprising: a metal fitting member having a bore therethrough with a multi-wire strand having a proximal end secured to the fitting member extending longitudinally of the bore and projecting beyond the distal end of the fitting, a plastic insertion sheath received around the strand beyond the distal end of the fitting having a bore therethrough in which the strand extends, the strand projectable beyond a distal end of the sheath and forming a basket-like loop structure beyond the distal end of the sheath, the strand formed of a plurality of individual wires twisted together, the wires being outwardly bowed to form the loop structure, the wires connected together by tubular coupling means at a proximal end and at a distal end of the loop structure, the strand wires being twisted about each other substantially from the proximal end of the loop structure to the proximal end of the fitting member and means including the fitting member for imparting an ultrasonic vibration directly to the strand to cause the wires of the loop structure to vibrate to impart crushing vibrations to the loop structure.

Claim 5

A device for disintegrating bladder, urethra and kidney stones of the type having piezoelectric transducer means operatively connected to a wire, which comprises a device having a multi-wire strand which passes through a bore in an end fitting, said end fitting including a proximal end and a distal end, the end fitting adapted to be attached to a piezoelectric transducer means adjacent the proximal end of the end fitting, a plastics material sheath member having distal and proximal ends, the wire strand passing through said sheath member and being projectable from the distal end thereof, the wire strand terminating in a loop basket formed from the wires of the strand, the loop basket being defined at proximal and distal ends thereof by tubular coupling elements effective to couple the wires of the strand together at the proximal and distal ends of the loop basket, the plastics material sheath having means for movement of the sheath relative to the wire strand to cause said basket loop to open and close, the end fitting being directly connected to the wire strand and operable to transmit longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic vibrations from the piezoelectric transducer means through the wire strand to the basket for disintegration of stones trapped in the basket loop by the vibrations of the wires.

Claim 6

A device for disintegrating bladder, urethra and kidney stones of the type having piezoelectric transducer means operatively connected to a wire, which comprises a device having a multi-wire strand which passes through a bore in an end fitting, said end fitting including a proximal end and a distal end, the end fitting adapted to be attached to a piezoelectric transducer means adjacent the proximal end of the end fitting, a plastics material sheath member having distal and proximal ends, the wire strand passing through said sheath member and being projectable from the distal end thereof, the wire strand terminating in a loop basket formed from the wires of the strand, the loop basket being defined at proximal and distal ends thereof by tubular coupling elements effective to couple the wires of the strand together at the proximal and distal ends of the loop basket, the plastics material sheath having means for movement of the sheath relative to the wire strand to cause said basket loop to open and close, the end fitting being directly connected to the wire strand and operable to transmit longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic vibrations from the piezoelectric transducer means through the wire strand to the basket for disintegration of stones trapped in the basket loop by the vibrations of the wires.