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A medical retrieval basket device, comprising a plurality of basket wires forming a basket, the basket including a wire collector at its distal end, the wire collector having a substantially rigid body for receiving the wires, the wire collector securing the wires at the distal end of the basket so

A medical retrieval basket device, comprising a plurality of basket wires forming a basket, the basket including a wire collector at its distal end, the wire collector having a substantially rigid body for receiving the wires, the wire collector securing the wires at the distal end of the basket so as to provide a substantially tipless basket.

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What we claim: 1. A medical retrieval basket, comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket; a wire collector, with means for receiving each basket wire, disposed at a distal end of the basket, the wire collector comprising a substantially rigid body and receiving the wires so as to pro

What we claim: 1. A medical retrieval basket, comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket; a wire collector, with means for receiving each basket wire, disposed at a distal end of the basket, the wire collector comprising a substantially rigid body and receiving the wires so as to provide a substantially tipless basket. 2. The basket of claim 1 wherein the means for receiving each basket wire receive the basket wires and orient them in a manner that is substantially non-parallel to the long axis of the basket when the basket is in the open position. 3. The basket of claim 2 wherein the wires are received in an orientation that is generally perpendicular to the long axis of the basket. 4. The basket of claim 1 wherein the body is a substantially solid body. 5. The basket of claim 1 wherein the body is substantially hollow. 6. The basket of claim 4 wherein the receiving means comprise passages in the body. 7. The basket of claim 1 wherein a passage extends from one opening in the body to another opening so that a length of wire may pass therethrough and form two basket wires. 8. The basket of claim 7 wherein the basket wires extend from the body in an orientation generally transverse to the long axis of the basket when the basket is in its open position. 9. The basket of claim 1 wherein the wire collector and the wires are integrally formed of the same material. 10. The basket of claim 1 wherein the collector has a generally planar body. 11. The basket of claim 10 wherein the planar body has a central opening for receiving basket wires. 12. The basket of claim 1 wherein the basket wires terminate in the body. 13. The basket of claim 2 wherein the basket wires terminate in the body. 14. The basket of claim 1 wherein the basket wires terminate in anchor receiving means provided in the body and the terminal ends of the wires include anchoring means. 15. The basket of claim 1 further comprising a shaft attached to the proximal end of the basket. 16. The basket of claim 15 further comprising a sheath into which the shaft is slidably disposed. 17. A medical retrieval basket, comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket; a wire collector, with receiving means for receiving basket wires, disposed at a distal end of the basket, the wire collector comprising a substantially rigid body, the receiving means receiving the wires in an orientation that is substantially non-parallel to a long axis of the basket when the basket is in its open position. 18. The basket of claim 17 wherein the wires are received in an orientation that is generally perpendicular to the long axis of the basket. 19. The basket of claim 17 wherein the body is a substantially solid body. 20. The basket of claim 17 wherein the body is substantially hollow. 21. The basket of claim 17 wherein the body is an elongate substantially solid body. 22. The basket of claim 17 wherein the receiving means comprise passages in the body. 23. The basket of claim 22 wherein a passage extends from one opening in the body to another opening so that a length of wire may pass therethrough and form two basket wires. 24. The basket of claim 23 wherein the basket wires extend from the body in an orientation generally perpendicular to the long axis of the basket when the basket is in its open position. 25. The basket of claim 17 wherein the wire collector and the wires are integrally formed of the same material. 26. The basket of claim 17 wherein the collector has a generally planar body. 27. The basket of claim 26 wherein the generally planar body has a central opening for receiving basket wires. 28. The basket of claim 17 wherein the basket wires terminate in the body and wherein the wires are helically oriented. 29. The basket of claim 24 wherein the basket wires terminate at terminal ends in the body. 30. The basket of claim 29 wherein the basket wires terminate in anchor receiving means provided in the body and the terminal ends of the wires include anchoring means. 31. The basket of claim 17 further comprising a shaft attached to the proximal end of the basket. 32. The basket of claim 31 further comprising a sheath into which the shaft is slidably disposed. 33. A medical retrieval basket, comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket, the wires being formed of a shape-memory material; a shaft extending proximally of the basket; and a wire collector, with receiving means for receiving basket wires, disposed at a distal end of the basket, the wire collector comprising a substantially rigid body, the receiving means receiving the wires in an orientation that is substantially non-parallel to a long axis of the basket when the basket is in its open position. 34. The basket of claim 33 wherein the wires are received in an orientation that is generally perpendicular to the long axis of the basket. 35. The basket of claim 33 wherein the body is a substantially solid body. 36. The basket of claim 33 wherein the body is substantially hollow. 37. The basket of claim 33 wherein the body is an elongate substantially solid body. 38. The basket of claim 33 wherein the receiving means comprise passages in the body. 39. The basket of claim 38 wherein a passage extends from one opening in the body to another opening so that a length of wire may pass therethrough and form two basket wires. 40. The basket of claim 39 wherein the basket wires extend from the body in an orientation generally perpendicular to the long axis of the basket when the basket is in its open position. 41. The basket of claim 33 wherein the wire collector and the wires are integrally formed of the same material. 42. The basket of claim 33 wherein the collector has a generally planar body. 43. The basket of claim 42 wherein the generally planar body has a central opening for receiving basket wires. 44. The basket of claim 33 wherein the basket wires terminate in the body. 45. The basket of claim 40 wherein the basket wires terminate in the body. 46. The basket of claim 45 wherein the basket wires terminate in anchor receiving means provided in the body and the terminal ends of the wires include anchoring means. 47. The basket of claim 46 further comprising a sheath into which the shaft is slidably disposed. 48. A medical retrieval basket, comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket, the basket wires comprising a shape-memory material; a wire collector, with means for receiving basket wires, disposed at a distal end of the basket, the wire collector comprising a substantially rigid body and receiving the wires so as to provide a substantially tipless basket. 49. The basket of claim 48 wherein the wire collector comprises a body with a plurality of passages that receive the basket wires. 50. The basket of claim 48 wherein the wire collector defines a substantially hemispherically shaped distal basket portion. 51. The basket of claim 48 wherein the basket has at least two pair of wires that follow helical paths. 52. The basket of claim 49 wherein the passages run generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the basket. 53. The basket of claim 48 wherein the basket has at least two pair of wires that follow helical paths, the wires extending from the wire collector in a substantially non-parallel orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the basket. 54. The basket of claim 48 wherein the wire collector is formed on and encases a junction of wires comprising the distal end of the basket, securing the wires together in a desired arrangement. 55. The basket of claim 54 wherein the wire collector is formed of a bonding agent comprising an epoxy. 56. The basket of claim 48 wherein the body is generally cylindrical in shape. 57. The basket of claim 48 wherein the body has at least three passages. 58. The basket of claim 48 wherein the wire collector includes a central opening, the wires being interlaced using the central opening of the wire collector to form a distal end of the basket. 59. The basket of claim 58 wherein a first wire traverses the central opening on one side of the wire collector, a second wire traverses the wire collector on an opposite side of the central opening, the first and second wires crossing each other in the opening, and a third wire traverses the opening from the same side of the wire collector as the first or second wire and crosses over the first and second wires in the opening so as to secure all wires together. 60. The basket of claim 58 wherein the wire collector includes one or more wire receiving means on an inner or outer sidewall of the body of the wire collector. 61. The basket of claim 59 wherein the wire receiving means comprises notches formed in a sidewall of the wire collector. 62. The basket of claim 58 wherein a bonding agent is disposed over the interlaced wires to help secure the wires together. 63. The basket of claim 58 wherein at least a pair of basket wires follow helical paths. 64. A medical retrieval basket device, comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket for capturing a target body and a shaft attached proximally thereto, the basket including a wire collector at its distal end, the wire collector comprising a body having a plurality of wire receiving means that help define a shape of at least a distal portion of the basket; at least two basket wires forming a pair extending along helical paths, the pair of wires being closely spaced and adjacent in a proximal region of the baskets, radially diverging in an intermediate region of the basket, and radially converging in a distal region of the basket into the wire collector. 65. The basket of claim 64 wherein a wire passes through a passage in the wire collector and is returned to a proximal end of the basket. 66. The basket of claim 64 wherein the distal end of the basket and a distal end of the body of the wire collector are substantially coextensive. 67. The basket of claim 64 wherein the wire collector defines a substantially tear-drop shaped basket. 68. The basket of claim 64 wherein the body has at least three passages for receiving wires, a first passage lies above a second passage, which lies above a third passage, each passage being offset from another passage, and each passage defining a wire return path that allows a wire to return to a proximal end of the basket. 69. The basket of claim 64 wherein a basket wire has a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the basket wire's radius of curvature in the proximal basket portion is greater than its radius of curvature in the distal portion. 70. A medical device that includes a basket device and sheath, the basket device being retractable into the sheath, the basket device comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket, the basket including a wire collector at its distal end, the wire collector comprising a body receiving and securing basket wires at the distal end of the basket so as to provide a substantially tipless basket, wherein the wires have a substantially round cross section. 71. A method of forming a basket for a retrieval basket comprising: providing a wire collector having a plurality of wire receiving means; placing wires in the plurality of wire receiving means; and providing a form representing a desired basket shape, the form including positioning means for setting the wires in a predetermined position; arranging wires around the form; fixing one or both ends of the wires in the basket so that they are secured together and define a basket; and removing the form. 72. The basket of claim 71 wherein the positioning means comprises a plurality of grooves spaced a predetermined distance from each other and having a predetermined depth. 73. A form representing a desired retrieval basket shape, the form having wire positioning means for receiving and setting a plurality of basket wires in a predetermined position, the form including means for receiving and positioning a wire collector. 74. The form of claim 73 wherein the positioning means comprises grooves spaced a predetermined distance from each other and having a predetermined depth. 75. The form of claim 73 wherein the form represents a basket having a substantially hemispherically shaped distal portion. 76. The form of claim 73 wherein the form represents a basket having a cone-shaped proximal portion. 77. The basket of claim 2 wherein the wire collector includes hinging means allowing movement of wires at the wire collector and hereby facilitating opening and closing of a basket formed using the wire collector. 78. The medical device of claim 17 wherein the wire collector includes hinging means for allowing movement of wire at the wire collector and thereby facilitating opening and closing of a basket formed using the wire collector. 79. The basket of claim 77 wherein the hinging means comprise the wire receiving means. 80. The medical device of claim 78 wherein the hinging means comprises the wire receiving means. 81. The basket of claim 79 wherein the wire receiving means comprises a notched area in a substantially planar body. 82. The medical device of claim 80 wherein the wire receiving means comprises a notched area in a substantially planar body. 83. A medical retrieval basket, comprising: a plurality of basket wires forming a basket; a wire collector, with means for receiving basket wires, disposed at a distal end of the basket, the wire collector comprising a substantially rigid, generally planar body, the body receiving the wires so as to provide a substantially tipless basket. 84. The medical retrieval basket of claim 83 wherein the body has wire receiving means for receiving wires comprising notches in a sidewall of the body. 85. The medical device of claim 84 wherein the body is a generally annular shaped body with a central opening, the notches being disposed around the sidewall of the body. 86. The medical device of claim 84 wherein the wire receiving means is also a hinging means. 87. The medical device of claim 84 wherein there are at least two wire receiving means, two or more basket wires extending proximally from each receiving means. 88. The medical device of claim 87 wherein a pair of basket wires are formed from a single length of wire having a cross-over point adjacent a receiving means. 89. The medical device of claim 88 wherein the cross-over point defines a section of wire hingeably disposed around the receiving means.