Development and Initial Evaluation of a Cost-Effective Force Sensor for Ureteroscopic Application.

Retrograde intrarenal surgery is the gold-standard treatment for most kidney stones. During ureteroscopy, ureteral access sheath insertion at forces greater than 8.0 Newtons (N) risks high-grade ureteral injury.

Effect of positioning on ureteric stone retropulsion: 'gravity works'.

Objective: To evaluate the potential impact of alterations in 'patient' position on laser-induced ureteric stone retropulsion in an in vitro model.

Materials And Methods: A ceramic (phantom) stone was placed in a water-filled clear polymer tube and subjected to continuous laser energy until the stone had retropulsed a distance of 10 cm. The trial was stopped after 60 s if the stone had not reached 10 cm.