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US 5,282,476 AGranted
Biopsy apparatus with tapered vacuum chamber
OwnerRichard A. Terwilligerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic biopsy instrument includes a cannula 13 provided over a stylet 11. The stylet 11 directs the cannula 13 to a biopsy site. The instrument urges the cannula 13 past the stylet 11 in order to collect a tissue sample. The stylet 11 initially remains stationary, then travels in the direction of travel of cannula 13 in order to assist firstly in collecting a sample and secondly to assist in severing the tissue sample from the surrounding mass.
Claims12
An automatic biopsy instrument for obtaining a sample of tissue including:
- a body;
- a cavity defined in said body, said cavity including a tapered inner wall;
- a piston mounted in said cavity;
- an elongate cannula with an elongate inner bore;
- means for communicating said inner bore of said cannula with the cavity of said body;
- a stylet positioned in said inner bore of said cannula;
- and
- means for driving the cannula out beyond said stylet into the tissue to be sampled so as to create a vacuum in said cavity and thereby assist in retaining the sample in the cannula.
5 more elements
An automatic biopsy instrument including:
- a body;
- a cavity defined in said body, said cavity including a tapered inner wall;
- a piston mounted in said cavity;
- means for biasing said piston relative to said cavity;
- means for urging said piston against the biasing means;
- an elongate cannula with an elongate inner bore;
- means for securing said cannula to said piston;
- means for communicating said inner bore of said cannula with the cavity of said body;
- a stylet positioned in said inner bore of said cannula;
- and
- said cannula extending out beyond a tip of said stylet in response to said biasing means in order to create a tissue collection space.
8 more elements
An automatic biopsy instrument including:
- a body;
- a cavity defined in said body;
- a cannula piston movably mounted in said cavity;
- means for biasing said cannula piston relative to said cavity, said cavity including a tapered inner wall, said inner wall tapering in a direction in which the cannula portion is biased;
- first means for urging said cannula piston against the biasing means;
- an elongate cannula with an elongate inner bore;
- means for securing said cannula to said cannula piston so that the cannula can move with the cannula piston;
- an elongate stylet positioned in said inner bore of the cannula;
- and
- second means for urging the stylet away from said cannula piston in a direction opposite to the direction of the motion of the cannula as caused by the biasing means so as to allow capture of biopsy tissue in said cannula when said stylet is in a relatively retracted position.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.