Optical biopsy instrument

• US 20060058703A1
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Universitaetskilinikum Charite
• Original Assignee: Universitaetsklinikum Charite Medizinische Fakultaet Der Humboldt-Universitaet ZU Berlin
• Inventors: Huenerbein, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/538,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058703A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/567
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0008 characterised by distal tip features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00151 using everted tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0041 Detection of breast cancer mammography by transillumination A61B5/0091, by X-rays A61B6/502, by ultrasonic means A61B8/0825
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0275 with sample notch, e.g. on the side of inner stylet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical biopsy instrument (100) comprising

• • (a) a substantially cylindrical cannula (22) with a proximal end (24) and a distal end (26), said cannula (22) having at least one lateral opening (28), and
  • (b) an endoscope (10) which is axially movable inside the cannula (22).

The biopsy instrument (100) according to the invention permits, for the first time, a targeted removal of tissue samples (34) from narrow duct systems of the body, in particular from milk ducts of the breast, with optimal endoscopic visual monitoring.

Claims

1. Optical biopsy instrument (100), comprising

(a) a substantially cylindrical cannula (22) with a proximal end (24) and a distal end (26), said cannula (22) having at least one lateral opening (28), and

(b) an endoscope (10) which is axially movable inside the cannula (22).

2. Optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one lateral opening (28) of the cannula (22) has at least in parts a cutting region (30) at its area being directed towards the distal end (26) and/or at its area being directed towards the proximal end (24).

3. Optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the cutting region (30) is formed by a ground edge of the circumference of the at least one lateral opening (28) or by a toothing of the circumference or by both measures concurrently.

4. Optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one lateral opening (28) has a substantially round, oval, elliptic or rectangular configuration.

5. Optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cannula (22) is closed at its distal end (26) by a wall, in particular by a transparent wall.

6. Optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that an external diameter of the endoscope (10) substantially corresponds to an internal diameter of the cannula (22) or is slightly smaller than this.

7. Optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that an external diameter of the cannula is 1.2 mm at most.

8. Optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the endoscope (10) is a rigid endoscope or a flexible glass-fibre endoscope.

9. Use of an optical biopsy instrument (100) according to claim 1 for endoscopy and/or biopsy of duct systems having small diameters, in particular of milk ducts of mammary glands.

10. Method for sampling tissue samples in duct systems, wherein

(a) an optical biopsy instrument (100), comprising

a substantially cylindrical cannula (22) with a proximal end (24) and a distal end (26), said cannula (22) having at least one lateral opening (28), and

an endoscope (10) which is axially movable inside the cannula (22) is introduced, under endoscopic monitoring, into the duct up to a biopsy site,

(b) the tissue sample (34) is brought through the free lying opening (28) into an interior of the cannula (22), and

(c) the tissue sample (34) is separated from the rest of the tissue by moving forward the endoscope (10) across the lateral opening (28) and/or by retracting the endoscope (10), until the lateral opening (28) is closed.

11. Method for sampling tissue samples in duct systems, wherein

(a) an optical biopsy instrument (100), comprising

a substantially cylindrical cannula (22) with a proximal end (24) and a distal end (26), said cannula (22) having at least one lateral opening (28), and

an endoscope (10) which is axially movable inside the cannula (22) is introduced, under endoscopic monitoring, into the duct, until the lateral opening (28) comes to lie over a biopsy site,

(b) the tissue sample (34) is brought through the free lying opening (28) into an interior of the cannula (22), and

(c) the tissue sample (34) is separated from the rest of the tissue by moving the cannula (22) having a free lying lateral opening (28) together with the fixed endoscope (10) forward or backward, thereby manually exerting a gentle pressure against the tissue sample (34).