SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOVAL OF KIDNEY STONE FRAGMENTS

Abstract

A system for removing particulate material from a person's kidney, comprising: a ureter-renal access sheath (1); a renal lavage catheter (2) configured to be inserted into the renal access sheath (1) and adapted to provide a lumen between the inner wall of the ureter-renal access sheath (1) and the outer wall of the renal lavage catheter (2) sufficient to allow a flow of fluid containing particulate material therethrough; an image generating device (3) configured to provide an image of the treatment area; and a dual-action pump (5) which ensures a substantially simultaneous fluid inflow into the renal lavage catheter (2) and a fluid outflow in substantially the same volume in the ureter-renal access sheath (1).

Claims

[1] A system for removing particulate material from a person's kidney, comprising: a ureter-renal access sheath (1); a renal lavage catheter (2) configured to be inserted into the renal access sheath (1) and adapted to provide a lumen between the inner wall of the ureter-renal access sheath (1) and the outer wall of the renal lavage catheter (2) sufficient to allow a flow of fluid containing particulate material therethrough; an image generating device (3) configured to provide an image of the treatment area; and a dual-action pump (5) which ensures a substantially simultaneous fluid inflow into the renal lavage catheter (2) and a fluid outflow in substantially the same volume in the ureter-renal access sheath (1). [2] The system of claim 1, further comprising a sedimentation chamber (15) for collecting the removed particulate material, wherein the sedimentation chamber (15) is in fluid communication with the ureter-kidney access sheath (1) and the dual-action pump (5). [3] A system according to claim 2, wherein the sedimentation chamber (15) allows visual observation of the collected particulate material. [4] The system of claim 1, wherein the renal lavage catheter (2) has an imaging device at its tip. [5] A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the imaging device (3) is a camera or an ultrasound device. [6] A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the double-action pump (5) is a double-action piston pump, wherein a pumping stroke of a piston of the double-action piston pump is used to simultaneously provide a pumping pressure and a suction force for the liquid inflow and the liquid outflow, respectively. [7] System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pumping device (5) is an isovolumetric pumping / suction device. [8] System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the double-action pump (5) is designed for hand operation or foot operation. [9] A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises: a first one-way valve (51) arranged between a fluid connection of the double-action pump (5) and a fluid supply (8) and configured to allow only fluid to flow from the supply (8) to the double-action pump (5); a second one-way valve (52) arranged between a fluid connection of the pumping device (5) and the inner channel (22) of the controllable renal lavage catheter (2) and designed to allow only fluid to flow from the pumping device (5) to the inner channel (22); a third one-way valve (53) arranged between a fluid connection of the outlet port (14) and the double-action pump (5) and configured to allow only fluid to flow from the outlet port (14) to the pumping device (5); and a fourth one-way valve (54) arranged between a fluid connection of the dual-action pump (5) and a discharge fluid outlet (9) of the system and configured to allow only fluid from the dual-action pump to flow to the discharge fluid outlet (9). [10] A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises a processing unit (6), wherein the image generating device (3) is connected to the processing unit (6) and the processing unit (6) is connected to a monitor (7) to enable the operator to observe and store visual data obtained from the image generating device (3). [11] A method for removing particulate material from the kidney of a person, comprising: Providing a system according to any one of the preceding claims; and Repeated pumping / draining procedures; and Collecting the particulate material from the person's kidney. [12] The method of claim 9 or the system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an intrarenal pressure is not increased above 40 mm Hg during operation of the system. [13] The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed after the subject has undergone lithotripsy. [14] Method according to one of claims 9 to 12 or system according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, if the shape of the fragments is substantially irregular, the largest dimension of a small fragment is in the range of 200 to 2500 µm, preferably wherein the largest dimension does not exceed 1 mm or the fragment dimension is on average substantially 1 mm; or wherein, when the shape of the fragments is substantially round, the diameter of the fragments is in the range of 200 to 2500 µm, preferably wherein the diameter does not exceed 1 mm or the fragment diameter is on average substantially 1 mm. [15] A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the small fragments were produced by fragmentation or by dusting.