Patent ID: 7914540

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: a handle; an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the elongated member being coupled to the handle; and a basket assembly attached to the distal end of the elongated member, the basket assembly comprising a group of at least three supporting members, each supporting member having a proximal end coupled to the distal end of the elongated member and a distal end coupled to a distal end of at least one other supporting member, each pair of adjacent supporting members in the group defining a corresponding gap between the pair, the basket assembly further comprising a flexible sheet attached to at least some of the supporting members in the group, the flexible sheet substantially covering all but one of the gaps, the one gap being open when the basket assembly is in an expanded state and the one gap being substantially closed when the basket assembly is in a partially collapsed state, wherein said basket assembly is substantially free of elongated support members extending laterally across the gaps wherein the pair of supporting members defining the one gap have lengths shorter than at least one other supporting member in the group and wherein the distal ends of the pair of supporting members defining the one gap are directly attached to one another at a point offset from an axis extending distally from the distal end of the elongated member.