Surgical instrument and its manufacturing method

An endoscopic surgical instrument (10) having a pliable plastic material basket (11) and method for manipulating soft tissue positioned in the basket. The surgical instrument comprises an elongated member tube (14) having a collapsible, bulbous-shaped basket (11) positioned at and formed from longitudinal strips (19-22) slit in the distal end of the tube. The basket is collapsed and positioned in an introducer sheath (12) for introduction into a body cavity via a minimally invasive access sheath. The tube further includes a stylet rod (23) positioned at the proximal end for stiffening the tube and extending the basket from the distal end of the introducer sheath when in the body cavity. When positioned in the body cavity, the basket is extended from the introducer sheath and positioned around a soft tissue organ such as an ovary for subsequent manipulation. The proximal end of the basket is partially retracted into the introducer sheath to securely position the ovary within the basket. To maintain the basket in a partially retracted position, a slideable clamp (26) is positioned around the proximal end of the tube to engage a stop (27) positioned at the proximal end of the introducer sheath to fixedly and longitudinally position the basket and introducer sheath relative to each other.