Chongqing's 'fairy-tale' tree houses

Zhu Qinghua manipulates the "stone removing bed" to keep his wife in an upside-down position. [Photo/CFP]

Farmer invents machine to remove wife's kidney stone

To cure his sick wife, a farmer invented a machine that can remove kidney stones, reported Huashang Daily on Tuesday.

Zhu Qinghua, 51, is a rice grower in Jiangxi province. His wife had her left kidney removed because of kidney failure in 1993, and stones were found in her right kidney years later. However, surgery would be too dangerous for a woman with only one kidney.

With the possibility of surgery ruled out, Zhu's wife was advised to stand upside down to remove the stone. To cure his wife, Zhu made a special bed which can vibrate with the power of the driving wheel of a tractor.

Costing just 1,000 yuan ($161), the home-made "stone removing bed" successfully removed his wife's kidney stone, and Zhu made further modifications to upgrade the vibration it provided. With the help of the special bed, Zhu's wife has recovered.

The invention was granted a national utility patent last year and Zhu hopes the "stone removing bed" can be manufactured en masse so as to help more patients.

Ever feel like dancing like no one is watching? One man did just that on a Chengdu subway.