Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy is a technique that uses shockwaves to break up kidney stones into sand-like particles, so they can easily pass through the urinary tract. Electrohydraulic systems use a metal ellipsoid to direct the energy created from the spark-gap electrode. In piezoelectric systems, ceramic crystals arranged within a hemispherical dish direct the produced energy toward a focal point. In electromagnetic systems, the shockwaves are focused with either an acoustic lens or a cylindrical reflector.

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