Patent ID: 7377925
Filing Date: 2008-05-27
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A surgical instrument for fragmenting and extracting stones from a patient comprising, in combination: an outer sheath having a proximal end and a distal end; wherein the outer sheath has a basket sized for entrapping the stones and located near the distal end of the outer sheath; wherein the basket transforms between an expanded condition forming a hollow interior space for capturing the stones and a collapsed condition having a profile sized smaller than the expanded condition for insertion of the basket into the patient and withdrawal of the basket from the patient; wherein a periphery of the basket has a plurality of spaced apart openings sized and shaped for passage of the stones into the interior space when in the expanded condition; an inner core longitudinally extending through the outer sheath and longitudinally movable relative to the outer sheath; wherein the inner core has a proximal end and a distal end; wherein the distal end of the inner core is longitudinally moveable from a retracted position within the basket to an extended position past the distal end of the outer sheath to fragment stones outside the basket; wherein an abutment of the inner core engages an abutment of the outer sheath to resiliently deform the basket from the expanded condition to the collapsed condition upon longitudinal movement of the inner core relative to the outer sheath in a direction away from the proximal end of the outer sheath and toward the distal end of the outer sheath; and wherein the abutment of the outer sheath encircles an opening in the distal end of the outer sheath so that the inner core extends through the opening and past the distal end of the outer sheath when the abutment of the inner core engages the abutment of the outer sheath.