Laser Lithotripsy Clinical Use and Technical Aspects [Paperback]

Disintegration of kidney and gall stones by intense laser radiation is becoming increasingly important as a complementary technique to extracorporeal shockwave treatment. This book gives for the first time a complete overview of laser lithotripsy combining a critical comparison of the methods and a thorough evaluation of instrumental developments and clinical applications. Readers from the medical as well as from the engineering side will find it a stimulating source of information on all aspects of laser-stone interaction.Disintegration of kidney and gall stones by intense laser radiation is becoming increasingly important as a complementary technique to extracorporeal shockwave treatment. This book gives for the first time a complete overview of laser lithotripsy combining a critical comparison of the methods and a thorough evaluation of instrumental developments and clinical applications. Readers from the medical as well as from the engineering side will find it a stimulating source of information on all aspects of laser-stone interaction.History of the Management of Stone Disease.- A Survey of the Action of Lasers on Stones.- Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) of Kidney Stones.- Identification of Body Concrements by Fast Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Laser Induced Plasma.- Identification of Biliary and Urinary Calculi by Optical Spectroscopy Compared to X-Ray Diffractometry.- Primary Results in the Laser Lithotripsy Using a Frequency Doubled Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser.- Stone Disintegration with Lasers  A Comparison Between Pulsed Nd:YAG-and Dye Laser.- Gallstone Lithotripsy Nd:YAG Laser Versus Dye Laser.- Acute Shock-Wave Induced Effects on the Microcirculation.- Effects of Laser Pulses on Cells and Tissue.- Analysis of Tissue Damage After Laser Induced Shockwave Lithotripsy.- Shock-Wave Induced Breakdown of the Tumor Microcirculation.- Limits of Optical Fiber Systems for Pulsed Lasers.- Enhanced Energy Transport via Quartz Fibers Using 250 ns Long- Pulsló-