Lithotripsy treatment. View of a technicians hand aiming a lithotriptor device at the back of a patient. The skin of the patient is seen at upper right. Lithotripsy (known as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy) is a non-invasive ultrasound technique used to treat kidney stones or gall stones. Ultrasound waves are focused onto the patient's kidneys or gall bladder in a series of pulses. In this way the kidney or gall stones are broken down into small fragments, and they pass out of the body naturally. Urinary stones and gall stones form as a metabolic disorder and may grow large enough to impair the function of the kidneys or gall bladder.