Forward-fired automatic tissue sampling apparatus

An automatic tissue sampling apparatus, for use with a biopsy needle system of the kind including a first needle having a shaft member and two ends, a first handle disposed at one end of the shaft member, a cutting point disposed at the other end of the shaft member, and a tissue holding region positioned between the cutting point and the first handle, and a second needle having a hollow shaft, a cutting point disposed at one end of the hollow shaft, a second handle with a passageway arranged therethrough for reciprocation of the first needle, said automatic tissue sampling apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• handle contacting means, operably disposed in said housing, for receiving and contacting said first and second handles of said first and second needles, toward moving same;
• propulsion means, operable disposed in said housing, for moving said handle contacting means within said housing, so as to move said needle handles to expose and subsequently cover, said tissue holding region, when said biopsy needle system has been positioned at a desired location within a tissue to be sampled, said propulsion means being operably biased so as to tend to move said handle contacting means so as to expose and subsequently cover said tissue holding region, unless said handle contacting means are restrained;
• cocking means, placing said handle contacting means, and, in turn, said first and second needles of said biopsy needle system into suitable respective positions within said housing for subsequent movement by said propulsion means;
• retaining means, for holding said handle contacting means, and, in turn, said first and second needles of said biopsy needle system in said suitable respective positions within said housing, prior to actuation of said apparatus;
• release means, for actuating said retaining means, so as to release said handle contacting means and enable said propulsion means to move said first and second needles, so as to expose, and subsequently cover said tissue holding region,
• said release means including
• a front firing member operably positioned on a forward portion of said housing,
• said apparatus being actuatable by actuation of said front firing member,
• said front firing member further being operable disposed in a front face of said housing.

An automatic tissue sampling apparatus, for use with a biopsy needle system of the kind including a first needle having a shaft member and two ends, a first handle disposed at one end of the shaft member, a cutting point disposed at the other end of the shaft member, and a tissue holding region positioned between the cutting point and the first handle, and a second needle having a hollow shaft, a cutting point disposed at one end of the hollow shaft, a second handle with a passageway arranged therethrough for reciprocation of the first needle, said automatic tissue sampling apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• handle contacting means, operably disposed in said housing, for receiving and contacting said first and second handles of said first and second needles, toward moving same;
• propulsion means, operably disposed in said housing, for moving said handle contacting means within said housing, so as to move said needle handles to expose and subsequently cover, said tissue holding region, when said biopsy needle system has been positioned at a desired location within a tissue to be sampled, said propulsion means being operably biased so as to tend to move said handle contacting means so as to expose and subsequently cover said tissue holding region, unless said handle contacting means are restrained;
• cocking means, for placing said handle contacting means, and, in turn, said first and second needles of said biopsy needle system into suitable respective positions within said housing for subsequent movement by said propulsion means;
• retaining means, for holding said handle contacting means, and, in turn, said first and second needles of said biopsy needle system in said suitable respective positions within said housing, prior to actuation of said apparatus;
• release means, for actuating said retaining means, so as to release said handle contacting means and enable said propulsion means to move said first and second needles, so as to expose, and subsequently cover said tissue holding region,
• said release means including
• a front firing member operably positioned on a forward portion of said housing,
• said apparatus being actuatable by actuation of said front firing member;
• a rear firing member operably positioned on a rearward portion of said housing,
• said apparatus being actuatable by actuation of either of said front and rear firing members, upon cocking and desired positioning of said apparatus,
• said housing further having a front face and a rear face, and said front and rear firing members are operably disposed in said front and rear faces, respectively.