Patent ID: 8016771

Claim:
A tissue removal device, comprising: an elongate shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the elongate shaft defines a longitudinal axis; a bag support defining an opening, the bag support being collapsible and expandable to open and close the opening; a bag operatively attached to the bag support and being repositionable between an unfolded position, in which the bag extends away from the bag support, and a folded position, in which the bag is folded onto itself, the bag having a first edge and a second edge, an open first end operatively secured to the bag support and a closed end, the first end being connected to the support so that when the bag support is in a collapsed position the bag opening is substantially closed; and the bag having folds including at least one transverse fold extending at least partially from the first edge toward the second edge such that an angle less than 90° is defined relative to the longitudinal axis, whereby a length of the bag extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft is increased and a distal portion of the tissue removal device defines a reduced transverse cross-sectional dimension, when the bag is in the folded position, less than a transverse cross-sectional dimension otherwise defined by the distal portion of the tissue removal device including a like bag, in a folded position, devoid of said at least one transverse fold.