Medical retrieval basket

Claim 2

A medical retrieval basket comprising: a first elongated member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a hollow passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween; a first superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said distal end of said first elongated member and forming a first loop extending longitudinally and distally from said distal end of said member; and a second superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said distal end of said member, forming a second loop extending longitudinally and distally from said distal end of said member, and interconnected distally to said first loop.

Claim 3

The basket of claim 1 further comprising a second elongated member having a hollow passageway longitudinally positioned therein, in which the first elongated member and said wires are removably inserted.

Claim 4

The basket of claim 1 further comprising a third superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said distal end of said first elongated member, forming a distal end of said member, and being interconnected distally to said first and second loops.

Claim 5

The basket of claim 3 further comprising a fastener interconnecting distally said first, second, and third loops.

Claim 6

The basket of claim 4 wherein said fastener includes suture material interconnecting said first, second, and third loops.

Claim 7

The basket of claim 5 wherein said fastener further includes a urethane coating material about said suture material and said wires.

Claim 8

The basket of claim 1 wherein said distal end of said first elongated member has a plurality of recesses in an outer surface thereof, each recess having an individual one of said ends of said first and second wires attached therein.

Claim 9

The basket of claim 7 wherein each of said superelastic wire ends includes a metallic sleeve crimped thereon, each of said sleeves being attached to said distal end in an individual one of said plurality of recesses.

Claim 10

The basket of claim 1 further -comprising a peel-away sheath having a hollow passageway with said first and second loops positioned therein in a collapsed state.

Claim 11

The basket of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second wires comprises a nickel-titanium alloy.

Claim 12

The basket of claim further comprising a second elongated member having a bullet shaped distal end and removably inserted in said passageway.

Claim 13

The basket of claim 1 wherein said first elongated member comprises a stainless steel tube.

Claim 14

The basket of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second loops has a length and a width, said length being approximately twice as long as said width.

Claim 15

A medical retrieval basket comprising: a first tube having a first proximal end, a first distal end, and a first passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween; a second tube having a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween and removably inserted in said first passageway; a first superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said second distal tube end and forming a first loop extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end; a second superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said second distal tube end and forming a second loop extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end; a third superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said second distal tube end and forming a third loop extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end; and a fastener interconnecting distally said first, second, and third loops.

Claim 16

A medical retrieval basket comprising: a first tube having a first proximal end, a first distal end, and a first passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween; a second tube having a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween and removably inserted in said first passageway; a first superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said second distal tube end and forming a first loop extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end; a second superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said second distal tube end and forming a second loop extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end; a third superelastic metallic alloy wire having first and second ends attached to said second distal tube end and forming a third loop extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end; and a fastener interconnecting distally said first, second, and third loops.

Claim 17

The basket of claim 14 wherein said first tube passageway is sized for retracting said first, second, and third loops therein.

Claim 18

The basket of claim 14 wherein each of said first, second, and third wires comprises a nickel-titanium alloy.

Claim 19

The basket of claim 14 further comprising a peel-away sheath having a hollow passageway with said first, second, and third loops positioned therein in a collapsed state.

Claim 20

The basket of claim 14 wherein said second distal tube end has a plurality of recesses equally spaced from one another in an outer surface thereof.

Claim 21

The basket of claim 18 wherein each of said wire ends includes a sleeve crimped thereon, each of said sleeves being attached to said second distal tube end in an individual one of said recesses.

Claim 22

The basket of claim 14 further comprising an elongated member having a bullet-shaped distal end and removably inserted in said second tube passageway.

Claim 23

A medical retrieval basket comprising: a first metal tube having a first proximal end, a first distal end, and a first hollow passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween; a second metal tube having a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second hollow passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween and removably inserted in said first tube passageway, said second distal tube end having first, second, and third pairs of oppositely facing recesses formed in an outer surface thereof and equally spaced from one another; first, second, and third nitinol wires each having a superelastic state and a pair of ends attached to one of said pairs of oppositely facing recesses, each of said ends having a metal sleeve crimped thereto, each of said sleeves being attached to said second distal tube end in an individual one of said recesses, said first, second, and third wires forming respective first, second, and third loops extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end and having a width and a length approximately twice as along as said width; suture and a urethane coating fixedly interconnecting said first, second and third loops at a farmost distal position thereof, said first tube passageway being sized for retracting said wires therethrough; a peel-away sheath having a hollow passageway with said first, second, and third loops positioning therein in a collapsed state; and an elongated member having an elliptically shaped distal end and removably inserted in said second tube passageway.

Claim 24

A medical retrieval basket comprising: a first metal tube having a first proximal end, a first distal end, and a first hollow passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween; a second metal tube having a second proximal end, a second distal end, and a second hollow passageway longitudinally positioned therebetween and removably inserted in said first tube passageway, said second distal tube end having first, second, and third pairs of oppositely facing recesses formed in an outer surface thereof and equally spaced from one another; first, second, and third nitinol wires each having a superelastic state and a pair of ends attached to one of said pairs of oppositely facing recesses, each of said ends having a metal sleeve crimped thereto, each of said sleeves being attached to said second distal tube end in an individual one of said recesses, said first, second, and third wires forming respective first, second, and third loops extending longitudinally and distally from said second distal tube end and having a width and a length approximately twice as along as said width; suture and a urethane coating fixedly interconnecting said first, second and third loops at a farmost distal position thereof, said first tube passageway being sized for retracting said wires therethrough; a peel-away sheath having a hollow passageway with said first, second, and third loops positioning therein in a collapsed state; and an elongated member having an elliptically shaped distal end and removably inserted in said second tube passageway.