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Apparatus for locating a breast mass

  • US 5,662,674 A
  • Filed: 06/06/1995
  • Issued: 09/02/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A medical apparatus for localizing and palpating a mass in body tissue, comprising:

  • a tubing having an open proximal end and an open distal end, said tubing including an inner wall extending along the entire length of said tubing and an outer wall forming an external sheathing and being spaced from said inner wall and extend along the entire the entire length of said tubing, said inner wall and said outer wall being connected together at said distal end and proximal end of said tubing, said outer wall including a thickened portion to separate said outer wall into a proximal portion and a distal portion, said proximal portion having a thickness greater than a thickness of said distal portion, and said distal portion of said outer wall forming said expandable balloon portion with a gap formed between said inner wall and said outer wall extending along substantially the entire length of said tubing and communicating with said distal portion which forms said expandable balloon portion;

    an expandable balloon portion positioned at a distalmost portion of said distal end of said tubing, said balloon portion being expandable at said distalmost portion of said tubing at a mass located deeply in the body tissue so as to be palpable through the body tissue; and

    a hollow needle having proximal and distal ends, said distal end being sharp, said needle being insertable through said proximal end of said tubing so that said distal end of said needle extends beyond said distal end of said tubing, with means for preventing the distal end of said needle from extending more than slightly beyond said distal end of said tubing.

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