New Extractors Expand Kidney Stone Removal Options

Two nickel-titanium (nitinol) stone extractors offer urologists new options for kidney stone extraction when performing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).

The Cook Medical Perc NGage and Perc NCompass nitinol stone extractors are designed specifically to remove kidney stones and stone fragments percutaneously. The design of both extractors mimics the original NGage and NCompass, used in ureteroscopic procedures. While both are intended for extraction of stones and foreign objects in the kidney and bladder, the different wire configurations of each extractor are useful in diverse scenarios. The nitinol construction allows both extractors to retain shape following torsion, while the stainless steel cannula provides strength and reliability.


The Perc NGage holds like a basket and releases like a grasper, enabling the physician to engage, reposition, release, or extract large calculi. The Perc NCompass, on the other hand, has a multiwire geometry that creates a standard 4-wire design at deployment and an intricate 16-wire design during closure. At full deployment, the distal portion provides a netting effect to help prevent stone migration, while a tipless basket minimizes trauma to surrounding tissue. The Cook Medical Perc NGage and Perc NCompass are products of Cook Medical (Bloomington, IN, USA).

“These products were developed for physicians who needed, in PCNL procedures, the same options that they currently have with our ureteroscopy extractors,” said Jean-Marc Creissel, vice president and global leader of Cook Medical’s Urology division. “We are pleased to be able to meet that product need and fill out our percutaneous extraction offering. Now physicians can apply the technology they master to an additional procedure.”

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