Dai JC, Bailey MR, Sorensen MD, Harper JD. Department of Urology, University of Washington School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 Northeast Pacific Street, Box 356510, Seattle. Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, University of Washington, 1014 NorthEast 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Stevens Way, Box 352600, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Puget Sound Veterans Affairs Hospital, 1660 S. Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.

Abstract

This article reviews new advances in ultrasound technology for urinary stone disease. Recent research to facilitate the diagnosis of nephrolithiasis, including use of the twinkling signal and posterior acoustic shadow, have helped to improve the use of ultrasound examination for detecting and sizing renal stones. New therapeutic applications of ultrasound technology for stone disease have emerged, including ultrasonic propulsion to reposition stones and burst wave lithotripsy to fragment stones noninvasively. The safety, efficacy, and evolution of these technologies in phantom, animal, and human studies are reviewed herein. New developments in these rapidly growing areas of ultrasound research are also highlighted.

Urol Clin North Am. 2019 May;46(2):273-285. doi: 10.1016/j.ucl.2018.12.009. Epub 2019 Mar 4. Review. FREE ARTICLE