STRUCTURAL, VIBRATIONAL AND DIELECTRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF URINARY STONES IN PUDUCHERRY REGION

Nephrolithiasis or kidney stone affects millions of people worldwide and has a 50-80% lifetime recurrence rate. This work uses dielectric spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Raman (FTRaman) spectroscopy to describe kidney stones that are derived from patients. Vibrational analysis using FT-Raman spectroscopy allows for the non-destructive molecular identification of calcium oxalate and dihydrate, calcium phosphate, uric acid, struvite and cystine. In addition to discriminating polymorphs that cannot be distinguished by chemical analysis, XRD provides information on crystal size, strain and formation procedures by revealing crystallographic structures, phase compositions and crystallinity. A developing method called dielectric spectroscopy provides unique information on electrical characteristics such as conductivity, interfacial polarization frequency-dependent permittivity and ionic mobility associated with ionic impurities, organic matrix components and hydration water. These electrical properties might improve lithotripsy treatments and provide novel diagnostic indicators.