Increase electrode life in devices used for extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)

摘要

Medical devices with novel spark gap electrode designs, able to control manually or automatically the electrodes gap are provided. These devices are used to generate a shock wave created by the rapid expansion and collapse of a plasma bubble that is formed between two spark gap electrodes placed in a special liquid medium, when a high differential voltage (kV) is applied to the electrodes. The resulting shock wave impacts a reflector to direct the energy into the body of an animal or a human toward the desired treatment location. This electro-hydraulic principle to create acoustic shock waves as a method of treatment is in use in the medical (lithotripsy, orthopedic use, wound treatment, burns, post-operative treatment, pain treatment, diagnosis, skin and organ transplantation supporting devices, arteriosclerosis treatment), cosmetic (treatment of scars and cellulite) and veterinary (treatment of musculoskeletal disorders) fields.