Soft tissue coring biopsy devices and methods
AssigneeTransMed7, LLC
InventorJames William VETTER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A biopsy device comprises a coring and transport assembly and a distal beak assembly. The distal beak assembly may be coupled to or near a distal end of the coring and transport assembly and may comprise at least one movable cutting element. The distal beak assembly may be configured to rotate about an axis, and assume at least a first open configuration operative to enable the at least one cutting element to core through tissue and a second closed configuration operative to enable the at least one cutting element to move through the tissue and to sever a cored specimen from the tissue.
Claims51
A biopsy device, comprising:
- a tubular coring and transport assembly;
- a distal beak assembly coupled to a distal end of the coring and transport assembly, the distal beak assembly comprising at least one movable cutting element, the distal beak assembly being configured to:
- rotate about an axis, and
- assume at least a first open configuration operative to enable the at least one cutting element to core through tissue and a second closed configuration operative to enable the at least one cutting element to move through the tissue and to sever a cored specimen from the tissue.
A method of performing a biopsy procedure, comprising:
- providing a biopsy device comprising a tubular coring and transport assembly and a distal beak assembly coupled to a free distal end of the coring and transport assembly, the distal beak assembly comprising at least one movable cutting element and being configured to open and close,
- penetrating tissue with the beak assembly until the distal beak assembly is near a target area within the tissue;
- opening the distal beak assembly if not already opened;
- coring through the target area of the tissue with the beak assembly opened to create a cored tissue segment;
- and
- closing the distal beak assembly to part-off the cored tissue segment from remaining tissue to create a cored specimen from the tissue.
A biopsy device, comprising:
- a hollow shaft comprising an inner surface and an outer surface;
- a tissue cutting assembly coupled to or near a distal end of the shaft, the tissue cutting element being configured to sequentially sever a first and a second specimen from tissue;
- a helical element configured for rotation within the hollow shaft and configured to transport the severed first and second specimens in a proximal direction within the hollow shaft,
- wherein the tissue cutting assembly is further configured to sever the second specimen from the tissue at the same time as the helical component transports the first severed specimen in the proximal direction within the hollow shaft.
A biopsy method, comprising:
- providing a biopsy device comprising a hollow shaft, a helical element and a tissue cutting assembly, the hollow shaft defining an outer surface and an inner surface, the tissue cutting assembly being coupled to or near a distal end of the shaft and configured to sequentially sever a first and a second specimen from tissue, the helical element being configured for rotation within the hollow shaft and configured to transport the severed first and second specimens in a proximal direction within the hollow shaft,
- cutting and severing the first specimen;
- transporting the severed first specimen in a proximal direction within the hollow shaft using the helical element rotating within the hollow shaft;
- and
- cutting and severing the second specimen while the severed first tissue specimen is being transported within the hollow shaft.
-93. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.