Researchers have developed new ultrasonic propulsion technology that can reposition kidney stones and facilitate stone fragment passage in people. Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. Smaller stones may pass with little or no pain, while larger stones may get stuck along the lower urinary tract and block the flow of urine, causing severe pain and/or bleeding. Current treatments for kidney stones, such as lithotripsy, may leave behind residual stone fragments.
Most fragments will pass on their own, but others may grow larger, cause pain, and lead to the need for additional treatment. Toward the goals of finding safe ways to reposition kidney stones and encouraging the passage of stone fragments, scientists developed ultrasonic propulsion technology. The technology uses a handheld device to generate a real-time ultrasound image to visualize the kidney…
