Medical instrument and procedure for removing a food mass lodged in the esophagus

Abstract

A medical instrument and procedure for removing a food mass lodged in the esophagus of a patient. First, the food mass is magnetized. Thereafter, a medical instrument that includes a magnetic retriever is inserted into an endoscope, for example, into the esophagus. The magnetic retriever includes a magnet that applies a drawing force to the lodged magnetized food mass, causing the magnetized food mass to become dislodged. Once dislodged, the food mass is retrieved and removed from the esophagus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical instrument for magnetically removing a magnetized food mass lodged in a person's esophagus, the medical instrument comprising:
 a handle;   a housing extending from the handle;   an elongated actuator extending through the housing and including a distal end portion;   the articulator moveable back and forth in the housing;   a retriever secured to the articulator and moveable from an inoperative closed position in the housing to an extended operative position where the retriever projects outwardly from the housing and assumes an open configuration;   a magnet forming a part of the medical instrument and disposed adjacent the retriever and designed to magnetically dislodge the magnetized food mass in the person's esophagus; and   wherein the retriever disposed adjacent the magnet is designed to retrieve and hold the dislodged magnetic food mass when in the operative position.   
     
     
         2 . The medical instrument of  claim 1  wherein the retriever comprises a series of tines having a netting secured to the tines. 
     
     
         3 . The medical instrument of  claim 2  wherein the tines and netting form a basket and wherein the basket in the operative position includes an opening configured to permit the magnetized food mass to pass into the basket. 
     
     
         4 . The medical instrument of  claim 1  wherein the magnet includes at least a portion that is disposed in the basket when the basket assumes the open position. 
     
     
         5 . A medical instrument for magnetically removing a magnetized food mass lodged in a patient's esophagus, the medical instrument comprising:
 a handle;   a housing extending from the handle and configured to be inserted into the esophagus of a person;   a retriever disposed adjacent an outward end portion of the housing and configured to receive and hold the magnetized food mass;   an actuator extending through the housing and configured to move the retriever relative to the housing;   means for magnetically dislodging the food mass in the person's esophagus; and   wherein the retriever is configured to receive and hold the dislodged food mass.   
     
     
         6 . The medical instrument of  claim 5  wherein said means for magnetically dislodging the magnetized food mass comprises a magnet associated with the retriever. 
     
     
         7 . The medical instrument of  claim 6  wherein the retriever comprises a collapsible basket that is configured to assume a collapsed inoperative position in the housing and an extended operative position where the basket projects from the housing and assumes an open configuration; and wherein the magnet is disposed adjacent the basket and wherein when the basket assumes the open configuration, at least a portion of the magnet is disposed in the basket. 
     
     
         8 . The medical instrument of  claim 7  wherein the basket comprises a series of tines with each tine comprising a spring steel member; and wherein there is a netting secured to the tines.