Biopsy device with inner cutting member

A tissue removing device for accessing and collecting a tissue specimen from a target site within a patient, comprising:

• a. an elongated probe member which has a longitudinal axis, which has a proximal end configured to be secured to a drive, which has an inner lumen extending therein, which has a tissue penetrating distal tip and which has an aperture proximal to the tissue penetrating distal tip, said aperture being configured to receive tissue from the target site and being defined in part by a pair of opposed longitudinally oriented tissue cutting edges;
• and
• b. an elongated tissue cutting member which is disposed within the elongated probe member, which has distal and proximal tubular portions, said distal portion having
• i. a beveled distal tip with an outer tissue cutting edge that defines a tissue receiving opening, said distal portion being flared outwardly in a distal direction to ensure that the outer tissue cutting edge of the tissue cutting member engages the pair of tissue cutting edges of the elongated probe member, said outer tissue cutting edge lying within a surface that is inclined at an angle of less than 75° with respect to the longitudinal tissue cutting edges of the elongated probe member and having leading and trailing portions,
• ii. an inner lumen extending therein and in fluid communication with the tissue receiving opening, and
• iii. a single longitudinally oriented slot in a wall of the distal tubular portion of the tissue cutting member that opens to the trailing portion of the tissue receiving opening in the distal tip, and
• said proximal portion being configured to be operably connected to at least one drive unit to move the tissue cutting member to cut a tissue specimen from tissue extending into the tissue receiving aperture of the elongated probe member by at least one outer tissue cutting edge of the tissue cutting member.