Other

Urological Instruments Research, Inc.

Perinchery Narayan

Maxim D Persidsky

German G Borodulin

Charles M Anderson

Marcus W Hedgcock, Jr

Alexander Shkornik

Instrument and method for removing stones (calculi) from the kidneys, the bladder and other parts of the body. A stone is captured in a basket at the distal end of an elongated tubular member and broken into pieces while it is held by the basket. The stone is broken up by a hammering action provided by a reciprocating shaft which extends through the tubular member into the basket and is driven toward the stone by a spring. The stone is removed from the body by withdrawing the tubular member from the body with the pieces of the stone in the basket. Since the tip of the shaft impacts upon the stone inside the basket, the instrument is safe in that the reciprocate tip cannot strike the tissue outside the basket.

Stone extractor and method

A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging method and apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus is an insertable probe consisting of a handle portion and an insertable portion. The probe has a NMR signal receiver disposed within the insertable portion and a reception frequency tuner which may be connected to an actuator which extends outside the sample into which the probe has been inserted. The NMR method of this invention includes the steps of inserting a NMR probe at a preselected detection location in a cavity within a sample, placing the sample in an external magnetic field, applying a perturbation pulse to the sample, and using the probe to receive the NMR emissions from the sample.

Insertable NMR coil probe

A mechanically-expandable urethral bougie (10) especially useful for dilation of urethral strictures comprises a probe formed from two elongated rods (12, 14) connected at their one end, the rods having a semicircular cross-section and grooves at the mating surfaces. These grooves form a guide slot 26 for a core element (28) which has wedging elements (34, 36) engageable with camming surface of the rods. The end of the probe opposite to the connected ends of the rods is provided with a drive mechanism for axial movement of core element (28). When the core elements move in the axial direction, engagement of its wedging elements (34, 36) with camming surfaces of the rods causes expansion or dilation of the probe, depending on the direction of movement. At its front end, the bougie is provided with a leader (52) of a smaller diameter and higher flexibility than the rest of the probe. The leader facilitates the insertion of the bougie into the patient's urethra. Another feature of the invention is a provision of a longitudinal channel which is formed either in one of the probes or in the core element. When the probe penetrates into the bladder, dripping of urine through this channel indicates to the urologist the fact of penetration of the probe into the bladder. Another feature of the probe is the provision of means for positively locking the rods and core in an assembled state.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Perinchery Narayan