Back to results
US 7,608,048 B2Granted
Rotating soft tissue biopsy needle
OwnerAlec S. Goldenberginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerAlec S. Goldenberginventor
Estimating the term…
In one embodiment, a biopsy needle that is particularly suited for shearing and collecting soft tissue specimens is provided and is formed of an inner tube with a snare at a distal end thereof, an outer cannula, a stylet and a handle assembly. In one aspect of the present invention, the handle assembly includes a spring loaded mechanism described in greater detail below that permits the user to selectively actuate the biopsy needle so that the outer cannula and the inner tube are rapidly advanced beyond the stylet to provide a shearing action of the soft tissue specimen. In one exemplary embodiment, the rapid advancement of the needle to achieve appropriate shear/cutting forces and to facilitate specimen transit into the needle is accomplished by a first spring loaded mechanism. A second spring loaded mechanism is automatically actuated after actuation of the first spring loaded mechanism and serves to rotate the inner tube relative to the outer cannula resulting in actuation of the snare coil.
A biopsy needle for collecting a tissue specimen, the needle including an inner tube with a snare coil at a distal end thereof, an outer cannula, a stylet and a handle assembly that includes a first torque generating mechanism that imparts a selective and controlled torque action to the outer cannula relative to the handle assembly to cause actuation of a second torque generating mechanism that imparts a selective and controlled torque action to the inner tube relative to the outer cannula as the inner tube and outer cannula arc advanced forward resulting in the snare coil at least partially closing, the first torque generating mechanism including a first component that is coupled to and associated with the outer cannula and a second component that is a part of a housing of the handle assembly, the needle further including an alignment sleeve that is disposed around a portion of the inner tube and the outer cannula, the alignment sleeve being received with a complementary groove formed in the housing so as to permit rotation of the alignment sleeve but restrict axial movement thereof, the alignment sleeve having guide channels formed therein to receive and control movement of the inner tube relative to the outer cannula such that in a first stage, both the inner tube and outer cannula move axially within the guide channels, while being prevented from rotating relative to one another and in a second stage, the inner tube is permitted to rotate relative to the outer cannula to cause actuation of the snare coil.
A biopsy needle for collecting a tissue specimen, the needle including an outer cannula, an inner tube received within the outer cannula and a stylet that is received within the inner tube, the inner tube having a snare coil at a distal end thereof, the outer cannula and the inner tube being coupled to one another by a linking feature that permits one of the outer cannula and inner tube to rotate relative to the other, the needle having a first actuation stage and a second actuation stage that is automatically activated as a result of activation of the first actuation stage, wherein during the first actuation stage, a first torque generating mechanism is actuated to drive the outer cannula in an axial longitudinal direction as well as causing rotation of the outer cannula as the outer cannula is driven, the needle further including an alignment sleeve that is axially fixed but rotatable and constructed to receive both the outer cannula and the inner tube such that the outer cannula and inner tube can freely travel axially within the alignment sleeve, wherein in the first stage, rotation of the outer cannula is translated to rotation of the alignment sleeve, and wherein in the second stage, the outer cannula is free of the alignment sleeve and the inner tube is rotated, as the inner tube remains axially steadfast, due to activation of a second biasing mechanism, whereby rotation of the inner tube is translated into rotation of the alignment sleeve and any rotation of the outer cannula is at a speed less than a speed of the inner tube such that the relative rotation between the outer cannula and the inner tube causes activation of the snare coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.