Patent ID: 8257282

Claim:
A therapeutic shock wave device for treating living tissue to produce a living tissue reaction in a subject to which the shock wave is administered comprising: a reflector housing; a parabolic reflector disposed in the housing; and an energy source disposed within the parabolic reflector for developing a shock wave so that a planar shock wave is formed by the parabolic reflector and emanates from the housing and is transferred to the living tissue; in the absence of a focusing lens through an exit window or membrane coupled to the tissue so that the emitted wave is transmitted unfocused from the exit window or membrane to the treated living tissue with reflected unfocused flat acoustic waves wherein the parabolic reflector is shaped and dimensioned to provide the planar shock wave having a power density level to produce a tissue reaction in a subject to which the wave is administered and wherein the shock wave has a power density in the range of approximately 0.01 mJ/mm 2 up to 1.0 mJ/mm 2 to stimulate the treated living tissue while avoiding tissue damage.