Patent ID: 6068603
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A medical instrument for use in combination with an endoscope, comprising:an elongated flexible sheath to be inserted into a patient's body through a channel of the endoscope;an operation unit inserted in the sheath such that it is axially movable;a looped cutting wire connected to a distal end of the operation unit; andan operation section provided at a proximal end of the flexible sheath for pushing and pulling the operation unit to thereby protrude the cutting wire to the outside of the sheath and retreat the cutting wire into the sheath through a distal end of the sheath,wherein:the cutting wire is elastically deformed in a direction in which its loop contracts, when it is retreated into the sheath, and deformed in a direction in which its loop expands, when it is protruded to the outside of the sheath;the cutting wire cuts part of living tissue of the patient's body while it is pulled into the sheath after it is protruded to the outside of the sheath, thereby storing a cut and sampled piece in the sheath;the sheath has, at its distal end, a flat loop expansion direction regulating section for regulating the loop expansion direction of the cutting wire; andthe loop expansion direction regulating section has an opening of a flat cross section and is formed at the distal end of the sheath through which the cutting wire is protruded and retreated.