Balloon-anchored biopsy device

A method for acquiring a biopsy sample of a target organ of a subject using a balloon-anchored biopsy device, the method including:

• percutaneously inserting a biopsy device into a vein of a limb of a subject, the biopsy device comprising:
• a first elongated tube enclosing a first lumen with a first proximal end and a distal tip, wherein a section of the first elongated tube near the distal tip comprises a balloon that when inserted into blood vessel of a target organ of the subject and inflated, anchors the section in the blood vessel near a biopsy site in the target organ;
• a second elongated tube enclosing a second lumen with a second proximal end and a second distal end comprising a beveled distal exit of the second lumen, which is positioned at the biopsy site of the target organ when the first elongated tube is anchored in the blood vessel by the inflated balloon, wherein a predefined length of the first and the second elongated tubes are longitudinally attached to one another such that the beveled distal exit is positioned at a proximal end of the section of the first elongated tube, the distal tip and the beveled distal exit disposed in a substantially similar orientation;
• a flexible biopsy needle attached to a distal end of a wire for insertion into the second lumen of the second elongated tube for navigation to the biopsy site, wherein the flexible biopsy needle is configured to exit the beveled distal exit of the second lumen for penetration into tissue of the target organ at the biopsy site at a predefined angle between a longitudinal axis of the section of the first elongated tube and a longitudinal axis of the flexible biopsy needle wherein the flexible biopsy needle comprises a cutting cannula and a stylet, the stylet having a distal section and a specimen notch proximate to the distal section;
• and
• navigating the distal tip from the vein through a vascular system of the subject and into the blood vessel of the target organ near the biopsy site;
• inflating the balloon in the blood vessel;
• pushing the flexible biopsy needle into the tissue of the target organ at the biopsy site at the predefined angle;
• acquiring a biopsy sample of the target organ at the biopsy site using the flexible biopsy needle;
• and
• withdrawing the wire from the second lumen so as to retrieve the acquired biopsy sample, wherein the needle is configured such that while the balloon is inflated, the needle is not in physical contact with the balloon.