# US 2018/0021027 A1 · Biopsy brush > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021027 A1 - Document ID: US20180021027A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/651,179 - Filed: 2017-07-17 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21 - Assignees: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. - Applicants: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. - Inventors: Sean P. FLEURY; Paul SMITH - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021027A1 ## CPC - A61B 10/02: Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy {(A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48)} - A61B 10/04: Endoscopic instruments, e.g. catheter-type instruments - A61B 2010/0216: {Sampling brushes} - A61B 2010/045: {Needles (pointed biopsy devices with vacuum aspiration A61B10/0283)} - A61B 2017/320012: {Brushes} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A medical device configured to collect tissue from within a subject's body includes an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal region proximate the distal end. A plurality of bristles may be positioned on the distal region to form a brush. The distal region may be configured to deform upon activation to increase a cross-sectional dimension of the brush. The cross-sectional dimension of the brush may be the largest dimension of the brush in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical device configured to collect tissue from within a body of a subject, comprising: an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal region proximate the distal end; and a plurality of bristles positioned on the distal region of the shaft to form a brush, wherein the distal region of the shaft is configured to deform upon activation to increase a cross-sectional dimension of the brush, wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the brush is a largest dimension of the brush in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further including a sheath having a lumen configured to slidably receive the shaft therein, wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the brush is configured to increase when the brush is extended out of the lumen. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the distal region of the shaft includes at least one articulating joint, wherein portions of the shaft adjacent to the at least one articulating joint are configured to undergo relative displacement upon the activation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one articulating joint includes a hinge or a notch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of articulating joints, wherein the distal region of the shaft includes a plurality of links separated from each other by the plurality of articulating joints. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the distal region of the shaft is configured to deform upon a first activation to increase the cross-sectional dimension of the brush to a first value and further deform upon a second activation to increase the cross-sectional dimension to a second value greater than the first value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the distal region of the shaft is configured to transform from a linear configuration prior to the activation to a bent configuration after the activation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the brush is configured to decrease in length and increase in surface area after the activation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein deformation of the shaft from an undeformed configuration to a deformed configuration increases the cross-sectional dimension of the brush from a first value prior to the activation to a second value after the activation, and wherein the distal region is further configured to transform from the deformed configuration to the undeformed configuration to decrease the cross-sectional dimension of the brush from the second value to the first value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the distal region of the shaft is configured to bend upon the activation to increase the cross-sectional dimension of the brush. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the distal region of the shaft is configured to inflate upon the activation to increase the cross-sectional dimension of the brush. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of any claim 1, wherein the distal region of the shaft is configured to be activated by applying tension on one or more activating wires that extend along the shaft from the proximal end to the distal end. ### Claim 13 A method of collecting tissue from within a body of a subject, comprising: inserting a medical device into the body, the medical device including: an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal region proximate the distal end; and a plurality of bristles positioned on the distal region of the shaft to form a brush having a cross-sectional dimension of a first value, wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the brush is a largest dimension of the brush in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft; activating the medical device to deform the distal region of the shaft such that the cross-sectional dimension of the brush increases from the first value after the activation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further including: rubbing the brush against tissue within the body to collect a tissue sample; and transforming the distal region of the shaft to decrease the cross-sectional dimension of the brush back to the first value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein inserting the medical device into the body includes: introducing the medical device into the body through a lumen of a sheath such that the cross-sectional dimension of the brush is less than the first value; and extending the brush out of the lumen to increase the cross-sectional dimension of the brush to the first value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the distal region of the shaft includes at least one articulating joint, and wherein deforming the distal region of shaft includes inducing relative displacement on portions of the shaft adjacent to the at least one articulating joint. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein inducing relative displacement includes bending the distal region of the shaft at the at least one articulating joint. ### Claim 18 A medical device configured to collect tissue from within a body of a subject, comprising: a sheath having a lumen extending therethrough; an elongate shaft configured to be introduced into the body through the lumen, the shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal region proximate the distal end; a plurality of bristles positioned on the distal region of the shaft to form a brush having a cross-sectional dimension, wherein the cross-sectional dimension is a largest dimension of the brush in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and wherein the cross-sectional dimension is a first value when the brush is positioned within the lumen and a second value, greater than the first value, when the brush is positioned outside the lumen; and at least one articulating joint on the distal region of the shaft, wherein upon activation, the distal region of the shaft is configured to bend at the at least one articulating joint to increase the cross-sectional dimension of the brush from the second value before the activation to a third value after the activation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the at least one articulating joint includes at least one of a hinge or a notch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the brush is configured to decrease in length and increase in surface area available to contact with tissue after activation.