Patent ID: 7037307
Filing Date: 2006-05-02
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A surgical instrument for facilitating the capture of objects during surgery, the surgical instrument comprising: a flexible tube having a proximal tube end and a distal tube end, the flexible tube defining a cable passageway and being configured for insertion of at least a distal portion of the flexible tube into a body cavity of a patient; a flexible cable having a proximal cable end and a distal cable end, at least a portion of the flexible cable being slidably disposed in the cable passageway; a snare loop having a loop member attached to the distal cable end, the snare loop and the cable being adapted so that the snare loop can be selectively retracted within the cable passageway by sliding the flexible cable proximally relative to the cable passageway and so that at least a portion of the snare loop can be selectively extended from the distal tube end by sliding the flexible cable distally relative to the cable passageway, the snare loop having a longitudinal loop diameter and being adapted for selectively encircling and engaging at least a portion of an object in the body cavity; and a first tether having a proximal first tether end and a distal first tether end defining a tether length dimension, the distal first tether end being attached to the loop member and the proximal first tether end being connected to the flexible tube at an attachment point that is a predetermined distance from the distal tube end and wherein a ratio of the tether length dimension less the predetermined distance provides an operative tether length, a ratio of the operative tether length to the longitudinal loop diameter being in a range from about 0.3 to about 0.7.