Multiple needle biopsy instrument

A biopsy needle instrument for taking multiple specimens from surrounding tissue in a predetermined pattern comprising:

• A. a housing,
• B. a plurality of axially elongated stylet means extending between proximal positions at said housing and distal positions along an axis thereby to define a plurality of specimen positions according to the predetermined pattern,
• C. a plurality of cannula means for severing specimens from surrounding tissue, each said cannula means extending from said housing along the axis and being disposed about a corresponding one of said stylet means,
• D. stylet displacement means and cannula displacement means for moving along the axis said plurality of stylet means and said plurality of cannula means respectively and independently relative to each other and to said housing between extended and retracted positions, each of said stylet means and each of said cannula means being connected to said stylet displacement means and to said cannula displacement means respectively whereupon simultaneous extension of said plurality of stylet means by said stylet displacement means defines the plurality of the specimen positions and simultaneous extension of said plurality of cannula means by said cannula displacement means severs the specimens from the defined positions whereby said biopsy needle instrument obtains all the specimens from the tissue in the predetermined pattern simultaneously;
• and
• E. support means for supporting said cannula means in the predetermined pattern.

A biopsy needle instrument for taking multiple specimens from surrounding tissue in a predetermined pattern comprising:

• A. a housing,
• B. first and second sets of axially elongated stylet means extending between proximal positions at said housing and distal positions thereby to define a plurality of specimen positions according to the predetermined pattern,
• C. first and second sets of cannula means for severing specimens from surrounding tissue, each said cannula means extending from said housing and being disposed about a corresponding one of said stylet means, and
• D. first and second displacement means for displacing distally said stylet and cannula means in a corresponding set in sequence and independently whereby said biopsy needle instrument obtains the specimens from the tissue in the predetermined pattern, all the specimens in a given set obtained simultaneously.

A biopsy needle instrument for taking multiple specimens from surrounding tissue in a predetermined pattern comprising:

• A. a housing,
• B. a plurality of axially elongated stylet means extending between proximal positions at said housing and distal positions thereby to define a plurality of specimen positions according to the predetermined pattern,
• C. a plurality of cannula means for severing specimens from surrounding tissue, each said cannula means extending from said housing and being disposed about a corresponding one of said stylet means, and
• D. independent displacement means for displacing distally each said stylet means and cannula means whereby said biopsy needle instrument obtains the multiple specimens from the tissue in the predetermined pattern, each specimen being obtained individually.

A method for taking multiple biopsies from a tissue mass in a predetermined pattern using a biopsy instrument comprising:

• A. grouping a plurality of axially rigid, transversely flexible elongated stylets and coaxial cannulas in the instrument along essentially parallel axes from proximal to distal ends thereof whereby said distal ends are arrayed in the predetermined pattern and whereby the stylets and cannulas are adapted for motion relative to each other along the axes,
• B. positioning the grouped stylets and cannulas proximate the tissue mass,
• C. transversely stabilizing the stylets and cannulas thereby to assure that the distal ends remain in the predetermined pattern, and
• D. displacing simultaneously at least two of the stylets distally along the axes into the tissue and thereafter displacing simultaneously the corresponding cannulas distally along the axes to capture at least two specimens, the simultaneous displacement of all the stylets and subsequent displacement of all the cannulas while the instrument is located at one position thereby capturing plural specimens from the positions of the predetermined pattern.

A method for taking multiple biopsies from a tissue mass in a predetermined pattern using a biopsy instrument comprising:

• A. grouping a plurality of elongated stylets and coaxial cannulas in the instrument along essentially parallel axes from proximal to distal ends thereof to define a plurality of sets of corresponding stylets and cannulas such that each set includes at least one corresponding stylet and cannula whereby said distal ends are arrayed in the predetermined pattern and whereby the plurality of the stylets and the plurality of the cannulas are adapted for motion relative to each other along the axes,
• B. positioning the sets of the plurality of stylets and cannulas proximate the tissue mass,
• C. displacing one set of the corresponding stylets and cannulas distally along the axes into the tissue independently of the other of the sets of the corresponding stylets and cannulas to thereby captures speci4mens according to the arrangement of the one set, and
• D. displacing the other of the sets of the corresponding the stylets and cannulas independently of the one set whereby displacement of all of the sets with the instrument in the position proximate the tissue mass thereby captures plural specimens from the positions of the predetermined pattern.