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Objectives: To estimate the efficacy and safety of SuperPulsed thulium‐fiber laser ureteral lithotripsy and to identify optimal laser settings. Methods: Patients with solitary stones were prospectively included. Lithotripsy was performed with a SuperPulsed thulium‐fiber laser (NTO IRE‐Polus, Fryazino, Russia) using a rigid ureteroscope 7.5 Ch (Richard Wolf, Knittlingen, Germany). We analyzed the efficacy of lithotripsy by measuring total energy required for stone disintegration, "laser‐on" time, ablation speed, ablation efficacy, and energy consumption. Stone retropulsion and visibility were assessed using a three‐point Likert scale. Complications were assessed using the Clavien–Dindo classification system. Results: A total of 149 patients were included. The mean stone density was 985 ± 360 Hounsfield units, the median (interquartile range) stone volume was 179 (94–357) mm3. The median (interquartile range) total energy was 1 (0.4–2) kJ, and laser‐on time 1.2 (0.5–2.7) min. The median (interquartile range) stone ablation speed was 140 (80–279) mm3/min, energy for ablation of 1 mm3 was 5.6 (3–9.9) J/mm3 and energy consumption was 0.9 (0.6–1) J/min. A correlation was found between retropulsion and the energy used (r = 0.5, P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed energy to be a predictor of increased retropulsion (odds ratio 65.7, 95% confidence interval 1.6–2774.1; P = 0.028). No predictors for worse visibility were identified. Conclusion: The SuperPulsed thulium‐fiber laser provides effective and safe lithotripsy during ureteroscopy regardless of stone density. Fiber diameter and laser frequency do not influence visibility or safety. Optimal laser settings are 0.5 J × 30 Hz for fragmentation and 0.15 J × 100 Hz for dusting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the thermal effects of Ho:YAG and Tm-fiber lasers during lithotripsy in an in-vitro model via real-time temperature measurement. Methods: We compared a Ho:YAG laser (pav up to 100 W, Lumenis, Yokneam, Israel) and a superpulse Tm-fiber laser (SP TFL, pav up to 40 W, NTO IRE-Polus, Fryazino, Russia), both equipped with 200 µm bare-ended fibers. The following settings were used: 0.2 J, 40 Hz (nominal pav 8 W). Power meter FieldMaxII-TO (Coherent, Santa Clara, CA, USA) was used to verify output laser power (pav). Each laser was fired for 60 s in two setups: (1) thermos-insulated (quasi-adiabatic) cuvette; (2) actively irrigated setup with precise flow control (irrigation rates 0, 10, 35 mL/min). Results: Power measurements performed before the test revealed a 10% power drop in Ho:YAG (up to 7.2 ± 0.1 W) and 6.25% power drop in SP TFL (up to 7.5 ± 0.1). At the second step of our experiment, irrigation reduced the respective temperatures in the same manner for both lasers (e.g., at 35 mL/s SP TFL − 1.9 °C; for Ho:YAG laser − 2.8 °C at 60 s). Conclusion: SP TFL and Ho:YAG lasers are not different in terms of volume-averaged temperature increase when the same settings are used in both lasers. Local temperature rises may fluctuate to some degree and differ for the two lasers due to varying jet streaming caused by non-uniform heating of the aqueous medium by laser light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]