Investigation of differences between nanosecond electropulse and electrohydraulic methods of lithotripsy: a comparative in vitro study of efficacy

To compare the effectiveness of novel nanosecond electropulse lithotripsy with standard electrohydraulic lithotripsy to demonstrate and authenticate their differences because both modalities appear to be similar. An in vitro fragmentation study was conducted using cuboid BegoStone phantoms, which mimic hard and soft stones, based on an established model. Three different stone sizes were used in the testing having volumes of 100, 256, and 320 mm(3). A nanosecond electropulse lithotripter (NEPL) and an electrohydraulic lithotripter (EHL) were operated using a range of probe sizes at comparable energy settings and pulse rates with the objective of obtaining a stone fragment