The basic principle of shock wave generation (liquid electricity) is to form a high energy density, high temperature, high pressure plasma area on the discharge channel through high voltage, high current, instantaneous discharge, which rapidly converts electric energy into heat energy, light energy, force energy, and acoustic energy, and the discharge channel expands dramatically during the discharge process to form a pressure pulse in the aqueous medium, which is also known as a shock wave. In addition to liquid electric shock wave source, there are electromagnetic wave source, piezoelectric crystal wave source and other shock wave source.
Generally speaking, all lithotripters are composed of the most basic two parts, i.e., the shock wave source that can crush stones and the precise positioning system for stones, and the shock wave source is the core of lithotripters. The shockwave source is the core of the lithotripter. The shockwave source is divided into liquid electric shockwave source and electromagnetic shockwave source. Liquid-electric model: Advantages are that the technology is quite mature, the effect is safe and reliable; due to the wear and tear of the electrode tip, the focal point is prone to drift, so clinically each patient needs to use a new electrode in order to ensure that the effect of lithotripsy. The disadvantage is that the electrodes are frequently replaced.
Electromagnetic wave source model: Electromagnetic machine type by the electromagnetic ring pulse magnetic field generated shock wave. Advantages include low noise, no need to change electrodes, basic stability of the discharge, the focus is not easy to shift, the disadvantage is that the focus of the pressure is lower, the rate of fragmentation increased.
After more than 20 years of clinical experience and summarized, liquid electric shock wave source lithotripsy effect is better than other shock wave source.