Methods and devices for collection of soft tissue
First Claim
1. A tissue sampling apparatus, comprising:
- a tubular body having a primary lumen for receiving a tissue sample, the tubular body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis; and
an electrosurgical cutting element disposed at the distal end of the tubular body, said cutting element being movable, relative to said tubular body, in a direction transverse to said axis, across a cross-sectional area defined by the distal end of said tubular body, in order to sever a distal end of an intact tissue sample core captured within said primary lumen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention provides an inventive tissue sampling probe which offers many advantages over probes available in the prior art. Unexpectedly superior results are obtained in connection with the retrieval of intact tissue specimens, because of a unique combination of cutting features, including, for example, the employment of an electrosurgical cutting element and a vacuum assist in one preferred embodiment. A particularly important feature of the invention is the ability to manipulate the electrosurgical cutting element to cleanly sever the distal end of the tissue specimen. In certain embodiments, this is accomplished without any cutting impact on surrounding tissue. The versatility of the invention permits its use in many applications, including, for example, breast biopsies, laparoscopic surgery, and lymphadenectomy procedures.
506 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A tissue sampling apparatus, comprising:
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a tubular body having a primary lumen for receiving a tissue sample, the tubular body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis; and an electrosurgical cutting element disposed at the distal end of the tubular body, said cutting element being movable, relative to said tubular body, in a direction transverse to said axis, across a cross-sectional area defined by the distal end of said tubular body, in order to sever a distal end of an intact tissue sample core captured within said primary lumen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A tissue sampling apparatus, comprising:
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a tubular body having a primary lumen for receiving a tissue sample, the tubular body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis; an electrosurgical wire disposed at the distal end of the tubular body, said wire comprising a single wire loop which is actuatable from a rest position to a severing position, the wire loop forming a semicircular cutting element disposed along a circumferential portion of the distal end of the tubular body in the rest position, and the wire being movable across a cross-sectional area of the distal end of the tubular body while being electrically energized, from the rest position to the severing position, wherein said wire lies along a circumferential portion of the distal end of the tubular body which is opposed to the circumferential portion along which the wire is disposed in the rest position, the wire having a pair of ends which are each fixedly attached to opposing sides of the tubular body distal end, the transverse movement of the wire across said cross-sectional area of the distal end of the tube from the rest position to the severing position functioning to sever a distal end of the tissue sample.
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36. A tissue sampling apparatus, comprising:
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a tubular body having a primary lumen for receiving a tissue sample, the tubular body having a wall, distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis; a slit extending part of the way through the thickness of the tube wall, the slit creating a flexible band of material between the slit and the distal end of the tubular body, the flexible band of material being predisposed to rest in a partially collapsed position across the cross-sectional area of the tubular body; an inner coaxial tube insertable into the lumen of the tubular body to thereby push the material band into a circumferential configuration substantially coincident with the remainder of the tubular body, the tubular body being electrically conductive to conduct electrical energy from an electrocautery generator to the flexible band of material; said flexible band of material comprising an electrosurgical element, wherein when the inner coaxial tube is removed from the tubular body lumen, the electrically energized flexible band of material collapses to its rest position across the cross-sectional area of the tubular body, the collapsing motion of the band of material functioning to sever the distal end of a tissue sample.
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37. A method of capturing a body tissue sample using a tissue sampling apparatus comprising a tubular body having a lumen extending therethrough, a distal end, at least one electrosurgical cutting element disposed distally of the distal end of the tubular body, an actuator for moving the at least one cutting element, and an electrocautery generator, the method comprising:
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activating the electrocautery generator to energize the at least one electrosurgical cutting element; advancing the tubular body through a solid tissue portion a desired distance so that one of the at least one energized electrosurgical cutting elements cuts a tissue sample core as the tissue sample enters the lumen, the cutting process creating a blind hole in said solid tissue portion; and actuating one of the at least one electrosurgical cutting elements so that it moves across at least a portion of a cross-sectional area of the tissue sample core at its distal end, thereby severing the distal end to capture the tissue sample core in a substantially intact condition within the tubular body lumen. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification