Patent ID: 9655678
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61M

Claim:
1. A method of removing a kidney stone from a patient in need thereof, the method comprising: inserting a cystoscope into a bladder of a patient; identifying a kidney stone in a ureter of the patient; positioning a guidewire in close proximity to the stone; providing a ureteroscope with an elongate member having a distal portion and an opposing proximal portion with a longitudinally extending conduit extending through an interior of the elongate member, wherein the elongate member has a maximal outer diameter that is 2.0 mm to about 1.7 mm over a length extending between the proximal portion and the distal portion; traveling the conduit of the ureteroscope over the guidewire to position the distal portion of the elongate member of the ureteroscope in close proximity to the stone; removing the guidewire; obtaining an image of the ureter with an optical device of the ureteroscope; positioning the ureteroscope so that a center of mass of the stone is centered in the image; passing a laser fiber through the conduit of the ureteroscope so that the laser fiber is in close proximity to or directly contacts the stone; and activating a laser in communication with the laser fiber to fragment the stone.