Confinement Of Kidney Stone Fragments During Lithotripsy

Abstract

The present invention improves significantly the success rate of lithotripsy and reduces the risk of tissue damage, by injecting a temporary plug in front, and optionally behind a concretion (for extracorporeal lithotripsy) or behind a concretion (for intracorporeal lithotripsy). One aspect of the present invention relates to injecting an inverse thermosensitive polymer solution into a lumen, thereby preventing the migration of a concretion, or its fragments, upon extracorporeal or intracorporeal lithotripsy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of mitigating risk of damage to surrounding body tissue during lithotripsy on a concretion located in a lumen of the body, the method comprising:
 introducing a solution comprising an inverse thermosensitive polymer at a location distal the concretion in the lumen;   forming a temporary plug in the lumen by gellation of the solution;   deploying an energy source proximate to the concretion on the opposite side of the concretion relative to the location of the temporary plug in the lumen; and   applying energy to the concretion with the energy source sufficient to fragment the concretion and propel one or more fragments of the concretion into the temporary plug; wherein the temporary plug is configured such that it is capable of withstanding impact with fragments of the concretion and prevent further migration of the fragments down the lumen beyond the location of the temporary plug, wherein the inverse thermosensitive polymer is a purified poloxamer or poloxamine.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said inverse thermosensitive polymer is selected from purified poloxamine 1107, purified poloxamine 1307, purified poloxamer 338 and purified poloxamer 407. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said composition comprising an inverse thermosensitive polymer further comprises a contrast-enhancing agent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said contrast-enhancing agent is selected from the group consisting of radiopaque materials, paramagnetic materials, heavy atoms, transition metals, lanthanides, actinides, dyes, and radionuclide-containing materials.