Clinical Research Directory

Ultrasound to Facilitate Stone Passage

This is a prospective, open-label, multi-center study to test the clinical feasibility of facilitating stone passage by the combination of breaking and repositioning stones with ultrasound, without the need for anesthesia.

Radiomics and Image Segmentation of Urinary Stones by Artificial Intelligence

Kidney stone disease causes significant morbidity, and stones obstructing the ureter can have serious consequences. Imaging diagnostics with computed tomography (CT) are crucial for diagnosis, treatment selection, and follow-up. Segmentation of CT images can provide objective data on stone burden and signs of obstruction. Artificial intelligence (AI) can automate such segmentation but can also be used for the diagnosis of stone disease and obstruction. In this project, the aim is to investigate if: Manual segmentation of CT scans can provide more accurate information about kidney stone disease compared to conventional interpretation. AI segmentation yields valid results compared to manual segmentation. AI can detect ureteral stones and obstruction or predict spontaneous passage.

Differences in Postoperative Symptoms With Four Ureteral Stents

This is a prospective randomized controlled trial designed to assess the differences in postoperative symptoms related to placement of a 6Fr Percuflex ureteral stents, 6Fr Tria ureteral stents, 4.8Fr Percuflex ureteral stents, and 4.8Fr Tria ureteral stents after ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy for treatment of upper tract urinary stones. 272 participants will be enrolled and will be on study for up to approximately 10 weeks.

Two Types of Single-use Flexible Ureteroscopies for the Treatment of Upper Urinary Tract Stones in Children

The single-use digital flexible Ureteroscopy (fURS) is commonly used for the treatment of upper urinary tract stones. The size of the outer diameter of the fURS can affect the safety, efficacy, and medical costs of the treatment. Particularly for children, their ureters are thinner and more tortuous compared to adults, which places higher demands on medical devices. The investigators are interested in determining if the performance of the two different sizes of fURS (6.3 Fr vs. 8.6 Fr) are equivalent. This study will have guiding significance for the selection of upper urinary tract stones surgery in children in the future.