Patent ID: 7137966
Filing Date: 2006-11-21
Classification: A61B,A61L,A61M

Abstract:
1. A method of fragmenting an object in a patient's body comprising: injecting a first material in a flowable form into the patient's body to contact an object; forming a gel by allowing the first material to contact a second material in the patient's body; stabilizing the object in the patient's body by enabling the gel to contact the object; applying energy from outside of the patient's body directed towards the object, the energy breaking the object into at least two fragments; dissolving the gel by contacting the gel with a third material that includes a de-crosslinking agent comprising one or more of sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, inorganic sulfates, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and ethylene dime tetraacetate, organic phosphates (e.g., cellulose phosphate), inorganic phosphates (e.g., pentasodium tripolyphosphate, mono- and di-basic potassium phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate), phosphoric acid, trisodium carboxymethyloxy succinate, nitrilotriacetic acid, maleic acid, oxalate, polyacrylic acid, sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium ions.