Biopsy needle

A biopsy needle for taking bone marrow biopsies comprising an elongate hollow needle having an open front end provided with a cutting edge and an open rear end, said hollow needle having throughout the major portion of its length a smooth uninterrupted cylindrical external surface of substantially constant diameter, and an elongated sample receiving chamber extending rearwardly from said open front end and defined by first and second cylindrical internal and integral sample-contacting surfaces, said first cylindrical internal surface being a portion of wider internal substantially constant diameter throughout a major portion of the length of said sample receiving chamber, and said second cylindrical internal surface being of narrower substantially constant internal diameter and defining the front end portion of said sample receiving chamber so that movement of a bone marrow biopsy into the narrower diameter front end portion and subsequent removal from the wider diameter portion is effected without any substantial crushing of the biopsy, said narrower diameter front end portion having an axial length in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm, there being an internal sample-retaining shoulder where said portion of narrower internal diameter adjoins said major portion of wider internal diameter, said cylindrical surfaces of wider and narrower diameters being coaxial and manipulating means provided at the rear end of said needle.