Retropulsion force in laser lithotripsy—an in vitro study comparing a Holmium device to a novel pulsed solid-state Thulium laser

PURPOSE: To investigate retropulsion forces generated by two laser lithotripsy devices, a standard Ho:YAG and a new pulsed solid-state Thulium laser device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two different Dornier laser devices were assessed: a Medilas H Solvo 35 and a pulsed solid-state Thulium laser evaluation model (Dornier MedTech Laser GmbH, Wessling, Germany). We used a 37 °C water bath; temperature was monitored with a thermocouple/data-logger. Representative sets of settings were examined for both devices, including short and long pulse lengths where applicable. For each setting, ten force values were recorded by a low-force precision piezo sensor whereby the laser fibre was either brought into contact with the sensor or placed at a 3 mm distance. RESULTS: The mean retropulsion forces resulting from the new Tm:YAG device were significantly lower than those of the Ho:YAG device under all pulse energy and frequency settings, ranging between 0.92 and 19.60 N for Thulium and 8.09–39.67 N for Holmium. The contact setups yielded lower forces than the distance setups. The forces increased with increasing pulse energy settings while shorter pulse lengths led to 12–44% higher retropulsive force in the 2.0 J/5 Hz comparisons. CONCLUSION: The Tm:YAG device not only significantly generated lower retropulsion forces in all comparisons to Holmium at corresponding settings but also offers adjustment options to achieve lower energy pulses and longer pulse durations to produce even lower retropulsion. These advantages are a promising add-on to laser lithotripsy procedures and may be highly relevant for improving laser lithotripsy performance.