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Lithotripters that noninvasively disintegrate stones using focused external shock waves generated and delivered from piezoelectric generators. These lithotripters typically consist of piezoelectric generators containing an array of several thousand of ceramic elements arranged on a spherical dish; when short, high-voltage pulses are applied to the elements, shock waves are generated at the focal point located at the center of the dish. Extracorporeal piezoelectric lithotripters are intended for the treatment of urolithiasis (i.e., kidney calculi also known as kidney stones).
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