Abstract

Stones formed by precipitation of solutes in bile and urine frequently obstruct the biliary or urinary tracts and require surgical removal. Flashlamp-pumped dye lasers were used to study stone fracturing in vitro. Pulses ranging in energy from 10 to 100 mJ were delivered via 200-μm quartz fibers in direct contact with the stones. Immersion in water, saline, or bile greatly enhanced the fracturing process, suggesting that inertial confinement of a mechanical impulse generated by laser pulse absorption leads to stone fracture. Removal of fragments from stones is associated with a loud acoustic signal, sharp recoil of the delivery fiber, and broad-spectrum-induced emission consistent with plasma formation.

© 1986 Optical Society of America