Stone extractor and method
First Claim
1. In a method of removing a foreign object from the body with an extractor having a self-closing basket comprising a plurality of strips of a nonmetallic flexible material joined together at their proximal and distal ends at the distal end of a catheter, a passageway which extends axially through the catheter and the basket, and a flexible control line extending between the basket and the proximal end of the catheter for opening the basket when pulled, the steps of:
- introducing the extractor into the body along a guide wire which passes through the passageway and both ends of the basket, positioning the basket adjacent to the object, withdrawing the guide wire, exerting an axial pull on the control line to flex the strips and separate them laterally to thereby open the basket to capture the object, relaxing the pull on the line to allow the strips to straighten by themselves to close the basket about the object, and withdrawing the extractor and the object in the basket from the body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Extractor and method for removing stones or other foreign objects from the biliary and urinary systems or from other portions of the body. The extractor includes a self-closing basket at the distal end of a catheter, with a flexible control line for opening the basket from the proximal end of the catheter. Being self-closing, the basket closes automatically about an object captured within the basket when the control line is relaxed. The extractor can be placed in the body with the aid of a guide wire, and fluids can be injected into and removed from the body through the extractor.
643 Citations
14 Claims
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1. In a method of removing a foreign object from the body with an extractor having a self-closing basket comprising a plurality of strips of a nonmetallic flexible material joined together at their proximal and distal ends at the distal end of a catheter, a passageway which extends axially through the catheter and the basket, and a flexible control line extending between the basket and the proximal end of the catheter for opening the basket when pulled, the steps of:
- introducing the extractor into the body along a guide wire which passes through the passageway and both ends of the basket, positioning the basket adjacent to the object, withdrawing the guide wire, exerting an axial pull on the control line to flex the strips and separate them laterally to thereby open the basket to capture the object, relaxing the pull on the line to allow the strips to straighten by themselves to close the basket about the object, and withdrawing the extractor and the object in the basket from the body.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a method of removing a foreign object from the body with an extractor comprising a catheter with a basket for capturing the object at the distal end thereof, an elongated guiding element of lasser flexibility than the extractor having a distal end portion formed with a predetermined curvature, and a relatively rigid steering element which can be advanced and retracted relative to the guiding element to change the curvature of the distal end portion of the guiding element, the steps of:
- introducing the guiding element and the steering element coaxially together into the body from which the object is to be removed, advancing or retracting the steering element and the guiding element relative to each other to control the curvature of the distal end portion of the guiding element and thereby steer said elements to a desired position as they are advanced into the body, removing the guiding element from the body with the steering element remaining in the desired position, introducing the extractor into the body coaxially along the steering element, and advancing the extractor basket beyond the distal end of the steering element into position for capturing the object.
- View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. In an extractor for removing a foreign object from the body:
- an elongated flexible tubular member having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinally extending luminal opening, a plurality of normally straight strips of a nonmetallic flexible material extending longitudinally from the distal end of the tubular member and being connected together at their distal ends to form a normally closed basket which can be opened by flexing the strips to separate them laterally, means forming an opening at the distal end of the basket in axial alignment with the luminal opening in the tubular member whereby the extractor can be inserted into the body and advanced along a guide wire which passes freely through the luminal opening and the opening at the distal end of the basket, and a flexible control line connected to at least one of the strips forming the basket and extending to the proximal end of the tubular member for flexing the strips to open the basket when pulled, said strips tending to return to their normally straight condition to close the basket when the control line is relaxed.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Specification