KIDNEY STONES ARE COMMON and excruciating. Now a team of UW researchers is forming a start-up company, Propulse, that may ease some of that pain. The research team’s device—developed at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory—uses ultrasound to noninvasively push stones toward the exit of the kidney before surgery is required. The stones can be pushed at the rate of one centimeter per second.

They have also developed a unique ultrasound imaging method to dramatically enhance the visualization of the stones. It provides a safe alternative to the ionizing radiation of plane X-ray and computerized tomography. The goal is an office-based procedure to detect and remove stones. The method could be used to treat virtually all patients with kidney stones and would provide a treatment option for the majority of patients who are sent home in pain to pass the stone naturally. The technology could also be used to clean up stone fragments after surgery. The team has also worked with NASA through the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. Kidney stones are one of the risks of space travel because astronauts begin to experience demineralization immediately.

To learn more about the New Ventures program or to talk about how this UW program can help you design a customized business solution, call Lynne Chronister, Assistant Vice Provost for Research and Director of Sponsored Programs, at 206-543-4043 or email her at lchronis@uw.edu.