Patent ID: 8034004

Claim:
A medical instrument adapted for the treatment of biological tissue, comprising: an impact member ( 10 ) for generating extracorporeal pressure waves, and a transmission element ( 2 ) adapted to couple the pressure waves into the body of living beings, characterized in that the pressure waves are generated by the impact member ( 10 ) hitting the transmission element ( 2 ) and the pressure waves propagate in the transmission element ( 2 ), the transmission element ( 2 ) has an inwardly curved exit boundary surface ( 19 ) configured such that the transmission element ( 2 ) is adapted to be placed in contact with the biological tissue, and the pressure waves are adapted to then be coupled into the biological tissue and are adapted to then be focused in the biological tissue, the transmission element ( 2 ) is in the shape of an exponential horn, the transmission element ( 2 ) having a larger diameter at the exit boundary surface ( 19 ) than at an axially opposite entry boundary surface ( 20 ), and the exit boundary surface ( 19 ) of the transmission element ( 2 ) travels a stroke of less than 0.5 mm due to the impact member ( 10 ) hitting the entry boundary surface ( 20 ) of the transmission element ( 2 ).