Focused systems
Energy peaks at a selected focal point and depth. The therapeutic dose is delivered to a targeted point inside tissue rather than at the skin surface.
6 machines in this group
19 machines, grouped by the technology that actually determines what they can treat. Every specification carries its own source, every FDA record is named by type and number, and the machines we sell are disclosed before you reach the first table.
Specifications verified
The single most expensive mistake in this market is treating every acoustic device as one category and then comparing them on peak energy. These are three different technologies doing three different clinical jobs, and a specification that means one thing in one group means something else in another. Read this before the table.
Energy peaks at a selected focal point and depth. The therapeutic dose is delivered to a targeted point inside tissue rather than at the skin surface.
6 machines in this group
Energy peaks at the applicator surface and disperses with depth. Radial devices treat a broad superficial area, which is a different clinical job from a focused device, not a weaker version of one.
7 machines in this group
Energy is spread across a treatment volume rather than concentrated at a single point. Comparing a broad field against a narrow focal spot on field size alone is a category error.
4 machines in this group
Radically cheaper direct-to-clinic devices. This group carries the heaviest caveat load in the set: read the limitation column before comparing on price.
2 machines in this group
Focused versus radial is the distinction buyers search for most often and get wrong most often. A radial device is not a cheap focused device; it puts its peak energy somewhere else entirely.
Category grouping is structural, not decorative. A radial and a focused device are not substitutes for each other, so sorting by price alone will place machines side by side that do not do the same clinical job.
| Machine | Technology | Key specifications | Price signal | FDA record located | Strength and limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focused systemsEnergy peaks at a selected focal point and depth. The therapeutic dose is delivered to a targeted point inside tissue rather than at the skin surface. | |||||
| Chattanooga Intelect Focus Shockwave | Electromagnetic focusedSource [1] | 0.01–0.55 mJ/mm², 1–8 Hz, 2 stand-offsSource [1] | $50,176.02 purchase estimate / $1,165 per month lease estimateSource [1] | Establishment listing — Listing only. Not a model-specific clearance and carries no indication.Source [2] | Published purchase and lease pricing, which most of this set does not offer. No FDA number appears on the reseller page.Source [1] |
| STORZ DUOLITH SD1 T-TOP ultra | Focused electromagnetic (SEPIA)Source [3] | 0–65 mm focal depth, up to 125 mm penetration, 0.01–0.55 mJ/mm²Source [3] | Pricing on requestSource [3] | PMA P080028 — Chronic proximal plantar fasciitis in adults, after six or more months of failed conservative care; 510(k) K202112 — Diabetic foot ulcersSource [4] | The strongest FDA paper trail in the reviewed set. Those records are configuration-specific and indication-specific. They are not a blanket clearance for the DUOLITH line.Source [3] |
| EMS Swiss DolorClast Focused | Focused piezoelectricSource [6] | 3 gel pads, over 5 million handpiece impulsesSource [6] | Pricing on requestSource [6] | 510(k) K243279 — Diabetic foot ulcersSource [7] | A recent August 2025 FDA decision is on file. Confirm the current labelling before quoting broader indications than the record carries.Source [6] |
| BTL-6000 FSWT | Focused electroacousticSource [8] | Up to 25 Hz, up to 3 million focused shocksSource [8] | Pricing on requestSource [8] | None locatedSource [8] | Global training and support network. No US-specific 510(k) was found on the pages reviewed.Source [8] |
| Dornier Aries 2 | Focused low-intensity ESWT (EMSE)Source [9] | 500 g applicator, 2 million-shock durability, dynamic depth and energySource [9] | Pricing on requestSource [9] | None locatedSource [9] | Deep German medtech engineering heritage. No current Aries 2 FDA number was located, and legacy lithotripsy records must not be cited in its place.Source [9] |
| KAPHA EMFOCUS / V / III | Electromagnetic focused (OEM)Source [10] | 0–65 mm adjustable depth, 4–10 Hz by model, approximately 500,000-shot handpieceSource [10] | Pricing on request (quote or OEM)Source [10] | None locatedSource [10] | Lowest entry cost of the focused tier. No US office, no device-specific FDA number. CE and MDD marking only.Source [10] |
| Radial pressure waveEnergy peaks at the applicator surface and disperses with depth. Radial devices treat a broad superficial area, which is a different clinical job from a focused device, not a weaker version of one. | |||||
| Chattanooga Intelect RPW2 | Radial pressure wave, pneumaticSource [1] | D20-S and Ro40 D-Actor transmitters, V-ACTOR HF, extended pressure rangeSource [1] | $18,775.52 purchase estimate / $427 per month lease estimateSource [1] | Establishment listing — Listing only. Not a model-specific clearance and carries no indication.Source [2] | Compact chassis with published purchase and lease pricing. The FDA record found is a DJO establishment listing, not a device-specific clearance.Source [1] |
| Chattanooga Intelect Mobile 2 RPW | Portable pneumatic radial pressure waveSource [1] | Built-in compressor, D20-S and Ro40 transmittersSource [1] | $16,709.85 purchase estimate / $380 per month lease estimateSource [1] | Establishment listing — Listing only. Not a model-specific clearance and carries no indication.Source [2] | The most portable Chattanooga option, with published pricing. Same FDA listing caveat as the RPW2: a listing, not a clearance.Source [1] |
| EMS Swiss DolorClast Radial | Pneumatic ballistic radialSource [6] | 1–4 bar, 1–25 Hz, 0.29 mJ/mm² at 4 bar, 7 applicators, 40 mm maximum penetrationSource [6] | Pricing on request, financing on requestSource [6] | 510(k) K220538 — Class I. Minor aches and pains, temporary increase in circulation, connective tissue activationSource [11] | A clean Class I 510(k) is on file. The labelling is conservative and does not cover broader clinical claims.Source [6] |
| Zimmer enPuls 2.0 / Pro | Compressor-free electromagnetic ballistic radialSource [12] | 60–185 mJ, 1–22 Hz, 2 million-pulse handpiece warranty, enPuls 2.0 weighs 6 lbSource [12] | Pricing on requestSource [12] | None locatedSource [12] | Strong direct US service channel and a light chassis. No device-specific 510(k) number was found.Source [12] |
| Gymna ShockMaster 500 | Pneumatic radialSource [13] | 0.3–5 bar, 0.5–21 Hz (35 Hz with V-Actor), over 90 preset protocolsSource [13] | $17,850 at one US seller, listed sold outSource [13] | None locatedSource [13] | Very large preset protocol library. US direct channel is unclear and no FDA number was found.Source [13] |
| BTL-6000 RSWT | Pneumatic radialSource [8] | Up to 6 bar, 22 Hz, Easy / Pro / Elite tiersSource [8] | Pricing on requestSource [8] | None locatedSource [8] | A tiered lineup that fits several budget levels. No clearly named US sales or service entity on the pages reviewed.Source [8] |
| STORZ MASTERPULS ONE | Pneumatic ballistic radialSource [3] | 289 × 238 × 310 mm, 9.8 kg, 6 energy levelsSource [3] | Pricing on requestSource [3] | None locatedSource [3] | Part of the most FDA-documented manufacturer family reviewed. No price transparency, and no device-specific record for this model.Source [3] |
| Broad-focused, urology and specialtyEnergy is spread across a treatment volume rather than concentrated at a single point. Comparing a broad field against a narrow focal spot on field size alone is a category error. | |||||
| SoftWave Gold Li Series (OW100S) | Broad-focused electrohydraulic, parabolic reflectorSource [14] | Focus volume 0–82 mm, 0.01–0.19 mJ/mm², 0.5–8 Hz, 36.3 lbSource [14] | $40,000–$99,000 as previously reported on 20 August 2026; the current public page uses an ROI calculator rather than a listed rangeSource [14] | 510(k) K233937 — Diabetic foot ulcersSource [15] | The clearest FDA record among the broad-field devices, with strong US direct sales. Map the exact model and configuration to the cleared indication before quoting the record.Source [14] |
| Medispec Orthospec | Focused ESWT, proprietary Multi-WaveSource [16] | 20–30 minute outpatient procedure, wheeled or desktop configurationSource [16] | Pricing on requestSource [16] | None locatedSource [16] | Established Maryland headquarters with a demonstration programme. The manufacturer site claims “FDA Cleared” without showing a 510(k) number. Request the number directly.Source [16] |
| Medispec ED1000 | Focused low-intensity electrohydraulicSource [16] | Mobile or desktop configuration, urology and erectile dysfunctionSource [16] | Pricing on requestSource [16] | None locatedSource [16] | Dedicated urology sales channel. The same regulatory documentation gap as Orthospec.Source [16] |
| KAPHA EMFOCUS VET | Veterinary electromagnetic focusedSource [10] | 23 protocols, mobile wheeled chassis, water-based focusingSource [10] | Pricing on request (quote or OEM)Source [10] | None locatedSource [10] | The only veterinary-specific model found in this research pass. No US veterinary regulatory record was located, and the manufacturer's own specifications conflict on maximum depth: 45 mm in one place and 65 mm in another.Source [10] |
| Value and direct-import tierRadically cheaper direct-to-clinic devices. This group carries the heaviest caveat load in the set: read the limitation column before comparing on price. | |||||
| Workhorse Mini / Pro / XL | Radial pressure waveSource [17] | Mini 26 lb; Pro 8-inch screen, 5 applicators, 46 protocols; XL 3.5 million-shot handpieceSource [17] | $3,949 (Mini) / $10,349 (Pro) / $13,349 (XL)Source [17] | None locatedSource [17] | Radically cheaper, direct e-commerce purchase, one-year warranty. The seller frames these devices around wellness rather than diagnosis or treatment. Confirm the exact cleared indications before making any clinical claim.Source [17] |
| Oceanus PhysioPRO / II / LITE | Clinical and at-home shockwave and ultrasonicSource [18] | Factory-direct lease advertised, 30-day money-back guaranteeSource [18] | $500 per month lease advertised; purchase price undisclosedSource [18] | None locatedSource [18] | An aggressive lease entry point. The site advertises “FDA registered”, which is a facility registration and is not the same as clearance. Verify model-specific labelling.Source [18] |
Head to head
Each page below compares one machine against one named competitor, with a sourced specification table, the FDA record located for both, and a plain statement of what we sell. Cards are grouped so a radial device is never set against a focused one by accident.
Radial pressure wave · like-for-like
Two pneumatic radial devices, genuinely comparable on the same terms.
Focused systems · different generation methods
Electromagnetic against piezoelectric, which is the real difference a buyer misses.
Cross-category · read the framing first
Not a spec race. These devices are in different categories, and the page says why.
Radial pressure wave · different drive mechanisms
Pneumatic against compressor-free, where chassis weight is the real trade.
Editorial judgment, not specification data
Everything above this point is sourced data. Everything in these cards is our opinion, and we sell some of the machines being judged. Read them as a starting point for your own diligence, not as a finding.
Deep, point-specific targets
Choose a focused device when the tissue you need to reach is deep and the target is specific, and you can justify the highest capital cost in the category.
Because focused machines are the only group in the table above publishing point energy densities up to 0.55 mJ/mm² at a selected depth.
High-volume superficial caseloads
Choose radial when you treat a broad mix of superficial tendinopathy and trigger-point work and need throughput more than depth.
Because the radial group holds both of the lowest published purchase estimates in the clinical tiers, at $16,709.85 and $18,775.52.
Treating a volume rather than a point
Choose broad-focused when your clinical model treats a region of tissue, and when a current device-specific clearance matters to how you present the service.
Because SoftWave's OW100S is the only broad-field device in the table with a device-specific 510(k), K233937, decided July 2024.
First machine, tightest budget
Consider this tier only if you are prepared to do the regulatory diligence yourself, and to accept a wellness-framed device where you may have expected a cleared one.
Because the limitation column above records that this group is framed around wellness rather than diagnosis or treatment, and that “FDA registered” appears in place of a clearance.
Take this list to every quote you receive. If a vendor will not answer all five in writing, that is itself an answer.
A radial pressure wave peaks at the applicator surface and disperses as it travels, so it treats a broad, shallow area. A focused device concentrates energy at a selected depth, so the peak lands inside tissue rather than at the skin. They are different treatment tools, not two grades of the same tool, and a clinic usually chooses based on the depth of the target.
Published pricing is rare in this market. Shockwave Source lists purchase estimates from $16,709.85 to $50,176.02 and monthly lease estimates from $380 to $1,165. Direct-import radial devices start near $3,949. Most manufacturer-direct machines, including STORZ, EMS, BTL and Zimmer, are quote-only, so no reliable published figure exists for them.
No. The RPW2 is a pneumatic radial pressure wave device, so its energy peaks at the applicator and spreads with depth. A focused system such as the Chattanooga Intelect Focus is electromagnetic and concentrates energy at a chosen depth. Comparing them on peak energy alone will mislead you, because they are built for different clinical targets.
The record located for plantar fasciitis is a premarket approval, PMA P080028, held on the STORZ DUOLITH SD1. Its scope is chronic proximal plantar fasciitis in adults after six or more months of failed conservative care. That approval is specific to that configuration and does not extend to other STORZ models or to any other manufacturer.
Leasing is the usual route for clinics that do not want to commit capital, and Shockwave Source publishes monthly lease estimates for all three Chattanooga machines. Those figures are estimates only. Contract length, APR, total payments and the end-of-term buyout are confirmed at quote, so ask for all four in writing before you sign.
You read the whole comparison
Bring the diligence checklist above to the call. We will answer all five questions for the machines we sell, in writing, including the ones where our answer is weaker than a competitor's.
Every monthly figure on this site is an estimate. Contract length, APR and buyout are confirmed at quote, not on this page.
Specifications on this page were verified on . Entries marked carried forward were not re-fetched during that pass and date from the earlier research round; treat them as older than the live entries.