Gallstone are the crystallized concretion resulted from the bile in the gallbladder. The gallstone must be removed to avoid inflammation conditions or cholecystitis.
Typically the gallblader has to be removed completely to avoid the forming of more gallstone. The removing of the gallstone can be by using endoscopic retrograde sphincterotomy in case of that the gallstones are in the bile duct. Or in case of few gallstones, they can be broken using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, then the broken stones can pass to feces.
The scientists of Second People’s Hospital of Panyu District and Central South University in China, have reached for a new endoscope that can remove even tiny gallstones and leaving the gallbladder healthy.
The device has an ultrasonic probe at its tip, that is used to locate the stones. It can reportedly even find small ones, embedded in the lining of the gallbladder. While it isn’t entirely clear how the endoscope deals with larger stones (one would assume it blasts them apart), it is able to suck up fine, “sludge-like” stones using its horn-shaped “absorbing box.”
Should laparoscopic surgery be necessary, an integrated fluid channel can also be used to inject water into the gallbladder, to increase the size of its interior cavity. The device has standard interfacing hardware, so it can be connected to typical camera systems worldwide.
In clinical trials conducted at two hospitals, there was found to be little difference in the surgical safety of the new endoscope, and one commonly used for cholecystectomies. Additionally, its flexibility, reliability and image quality were reported to be better.