Needle with contiguous interrupted and uninterrupted helical-cut sections

A system for sampling a targeted region of tissue, the system comprising:

• an insertion system configured to receive an elongated instrument into a proximal end of a lumen and to convey a distal end of the lumen into a body toward a targeted region of tissue to be sampled;
• and
• a flexible needle assembly configured to be insertable into the body via the lumen, wherein the flexible needle assembly includes:
• a flexible needle, wherein the flexible needle includes:
• a proximal end;
• a distal end including a needle tip;
• and
• a shaft extending between the proximal end and the distal end and including a flexible portion, wherein the flexible portion includes:
• an interrupted cut section including a plurality of interrupted cuts in the shaft following a first helical pattern;
• an uninterrupted cut section including an uninterrupted cut in the shaft following a second helical pattern;
• and
• a continuous transition cut extending between the interrupted cut section and the uninterrupted cut section, wherein the continuous transition cut extends continuously from an end of a first terminal cut at a first end of the interrupted cut section into the uninterrupted cut section, wherein the first terminal cut is a final interrupted cut of the plurality of interrupted cuts following the first helical pattern;
• and
• a handle assembly configured to engage the proximal end of the flexible needle and to control movement of the flexible needle.