Background and Purpose: Intracorporeal lithotripsy is an important modality used for stone pulverization. To improve the pulverization properties of intracorporeal lithotriptors, a novel intracorporeal "spearheaded lithotriptor" was designed by our institute. It was compared in vitro with the conventional lithotriptor.Materials and Methods: The pulverization and propulsion dynamics were evaluated at various pressure settings on an in vitro bench arrangement with phantom stones. Lateral displacement during pulverization was also compared.Results: The spearheaded lithotriptor had a better first hit (P < 0.001) and follow-up hit dynamics (P < 0.01). Stone propulsion and lateral displacement were low for the spearheaded lithotriptor at all pressure settings (P<0.05). Conclusion: The spearheaded lithotriptor improved stone pulverization without increasing the risk of stone migration. Further clinical evaluation of this novel probe is necessary.
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