Apparatus and method for marking tissue

A method of making a marking apparatus for defining a particular tissue location, comprising the steps of:

• providing a single piece of sheet material having a proximal end and a distal end;
• forming a marker element having first and second legs on said distal end;
• and
• providing a predesigned failure point in said sheet material just proximal to said marker, said failure point being engineered to fail when a predetermined pulling force is applied on the proximal end of said single piece of sheet material, thereby separating the marker element from the remainder of the marking apparatus.

A device for marking a particular tissue area within a body to identify said particular tissue area for a later diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, comprising:

• a marker element;
• a flexible marker element applier for remotely delivering said marker element from outside the body to the particular tissue area, comprising an introducer having a tube, wherein the tube has a lumen, a distal opening and a proximal hub, and further comprising a flexible deployment shaft having a lumen, a distal end, and a proximal end;
• a handle on the proximal end of the flexible deployment shaft;
• wherein the flexible marker element applier further comprises a pull wire attached to said handle, the wire extending distally through the lumen of said flexible deployment shaft, a distal end of the pull wire being attached to said marker element, such that when said handle is actuated, a proximal pulling force is exerted by the handle on said pull wire.

A marker element applier for applying a marker element to a particular tissue area in order to mark said area for a later diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, comprising:

• a marker element;
• a flexible deployment shaft having a lumen, a distal end, and a proximal end;
• a squeeze handle;
• and
• a pull wire attached to said handle, the wire extending distally through the lumen of a flexible deployment shaft, a distal end of the pull wire being attached to said marker elemental;
• wherein said handle is actuated by a squeezing action to cause a proximal pulling force to be exerted on said pull wire.

A marker element applier for applying a marker element to a particular tissue area in order to mark said area for a later diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, comprising:

• a marker element;
• a flexible deployment shaft having a lumen, a distal end, and a proximal end;
• a handle;
• and
• a pull wire attached to said handle, the wire extending distally through the lumen of a flexible deployment shaft, a distal end of the pull wire being attached to said marker element, wherein the marker element and the pull wire are comprised of a single piece of sheet material.

A device for marking a particular tissue area within a body to identify said particular tissue area for a later diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, comprising:

• a marker element;
• a flexible marker element applier for remotely delivering said marker element from outside the body to the particular tissue area, comprising an introducer having a tube comprised of a flexible material, wherein the tube has a lumen, a distal opening, and a proximal hub, the applier further comprising a flexible deployment shaft having a lumen, a distal end, and a proximal end;
• the flexible deployment shaft being insertable though the lumen of said introducer tube for transporting said marker element to said particular tissue area;
• said device further comprising a rigid annular conduit having a distal opening, said rigid annular conduit being adapted for entry into said body using an aided visualization device, wherein the distal opening of the conduit is able to be disposed adjacent to said particular tissue area, said flexible introducer tube being insertable into said rigid annular conduit such that the distal end of the flexible introducer tube exits said rigid annular conduit through the distal opening thereof, thereby transporting said marker element to said particular tissue area.

A device for marking a particular tissue area within a body to identify said particular tissue area for a later diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, comprising:

• a marker element;
• a flexible marker element applier for remotely delivering said marker element from outside the body to the particular tissue area, comprising an introducer having a tube comprised of a flexible material, wherein the tube has a lumen, a distal opening, and a proximal hub, the applier further comprising a flexible deployment shaft having a lumen, a distal end, and a proximal end;
• the flexible deployment shaft being insertable though the lumen of said introducer tube for transporting said marker element to said particular tissue area;
• an angled ramp disposed at the distal end of the flexible introducer tube, adjacent to the distal opening on said tube, said ramp functioning to cause said flexible deployment shaft to exit the tube distal opening in a generally lateral direction with respect to the orientation of the introducer tube.