During ureteroscopic lithotripsy, breaking a stone with a laser does not mean the procedure is complete.
Effective control and successful retrieval of stone fragments are equally important for achieving a favorable stone-free outcome.
Especially when dealing with multiple small fragments, if the basket cannot maintain stable control after capture, repeated repositioning and recapture may be required, potentially increasing the number of times the ureteroscope needs to be reinserted. For physicians, a stone retrieval basket needs to do more than simply “grasp” a stone—it must support the entire process of capture, retention, manipulation, and retrieval.
In other words, a basket should not only grasp the stone—it should keep it under control.
Why Is the Helical Design Worth Attention?
The structural design of a retrieval basket can directly influence its performance during stone extraction.
A 2002 study published in European Urology compared retrieval baskets with different designs in models of single stones, impacted stones, steinstrasse, and lower-pole renal stones. In the steinstrasse model, the helical basket achieved the shortest clearance time, at only 66 seconds, while also requiring the fewest ureteroscope reinsertions, averaging just 1.4 times.
These findings suggest that basket geometry can influence the efficiency of fragment capture and retrieval. Through its specific spatial arrangement, the helical basket forms a three-dimensional capture area and creates an encircling and constraining relationship with the stone as the basket closes, providing a distinctive working space for capturing multiple fragments.
Material Matters, but Material Is Not Everything
Modern stone retrieval baskets are widely manufactured from nitinol. Its excellent flexibility and shape-memory properties allow the basket to collapse within the working channel and return to its preset configuration once deployed.
However, even baskets made from the same nitinol material can exhibit different working characteristics depending on their structural design.
A prospective clinical study published in Journal of Endourology in 2008 enrolled 23 patients with renal or ureteral stones and used a nitinol basket to assist with laser lithotripsy, control stone migration, and facilitate stone retrieval. Complete stone-free status was achieved in 20 patients, corresponding to a stone-free rate of 87%. The study showed that the nitinol basket could help prevent retrograde stone migration while facilitating lithotripsy and retrieval of larger stones.
This demonstrates that a retrieval basket is not merely a tool for “collecting fragments” after lithotripsy—it can also play an active role in stone control during the lithotripsy and retrieval process.
If They Are All Nitinol, Why Choose Different Basket Designs?
A 2011 in-vitro study published in Journal of Endourology evaluated 15 nitinol stone retrieval baskets and found substantial differences in bending resistance, ranging from approximately 5.97 to 38 mm/g. Different baskets also had varying effects on ureteroscope deflection.
Another study published in the same year compared three small-caliber nitinol baskets and found significant differences in radial expansion force and opening/closing dynamics, suggesting that basket geometry can influence control during stone capture.
Therefore, basket performance is not determined by material alone.
Material provides the foundation; structure further determines how the basket works.
Wire count, wire diameter, basket geometry, opening and closing characteristics, and flexibility can all influence basket performance across different anatomical locations and stone conditions.
No Single Basket Fits Every Situation
Basket selection is not simply about determining “which one is better.” Instead, the appropriate design should be selected according to the stone location, size, number, and procedural requirements.
With an understanding of diverse clinical needs, Neimor stone retrieval baskets are manufactured from nitinol, with careful attention to every detail—from material selection and wire design to basket forming and manufacturing precision—to provide a reliable foundation for capture, retention, and manipulation.
Neimor offers three-wire, four-wire, and helical basket designs, providing more targeted options for different stone conditions and procedural requirements.
From material to structure, from details to overall design, Neimor responds to diverse stone retrieval needs through precision manufacturing, supporting reliable performance with every precise capture.