Apparatus for marking tissue location
First Claim
1. A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises:
- a needle including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, the housing and elongated tube forming a longitudinal passageway therethrough;
an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway;
an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation disposed within the elongated tube and substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the tube, an intermediate position disposed outside the elongated tube a distance away from the distal end of the elongated tube maintained in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the tube and a deployed orientation non-aligned with the tube longitudinal axis;
wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the alignment of the marker with the longitudinal axis of the elongated tube, independently of the elongated tube, after the marker has been moved to the intermediate position disposed a distance away from the distal end of the elongated tube; and
an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker and including first and second control portions, wherein relative movement of the first and second control portions from a first orientation to a second orientation moves the elongated marker from the retracted to the intermediate position and wherein further relative movement of the first and second control portions from the second orientation to a third orientation moves the elongated tissue marker to the deployed orientation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical apparatus for marking a location within tissue which includes (i) a needle including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, (ii) an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through a longitudinal passageway formed through the needle, (iii) an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation, and (iv) an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker, wherein movement of the actuator assembly from a first position to a second position moves the elongated marker from the retracted position to the deployed position. A method of marking a particular location in body tissue is also provided, which includes the steps of (i) inserting an apparatus into a section of body tissue, (ii) deploying an elongated marker having an elongated cable attached thereto from the apparatus into the tissue, (iii) retaining the elongated cable relative the distal end of the apparatus, and (iv) moving the elongated marker into an orientation substantially perpendicular to the elongated cable.
342 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises:
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a needle including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, the housing and elongated tube forming a longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway; an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation disposed within the elongated tube and substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the tube, an intermediate position disposed outside the elongated tube a distance away from the distal end of the elongated tube maintained in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the tube and a deployed orientation non-aligned with the tube longitudinal axis; wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the alignment of the marker with the longitudinal axis of the elongated tube, independently of the elongated tube, after the marker has been moved to the intermediate position disposed a distance away from the distal end of the elongated tube; and an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker and including first and second control portions, wherein relative movement of the first and second control portions from a first orientation to a second orientation moves the elongated marker from the retracted to the intermediate position and wherein further relative movement of the first and second control portions from the second orientation to a third orientation moves the elongated tissue marker to the deployed orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A surgical assembly for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises:
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a needle defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway; an elongated marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation; wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the alignment of the marker with the longitudinal axis of the elongated tube, independently of the elongated the tube, after the marker has been moved to the intermediate position disposed a distance away from the distal end of the elongated tube; and a stabilizer member disposed in the longitudinal passageway and movable from a first position spaced away from the elongated marker, to a second position biased against the elongated marker to maintain the elongated marker in the deployed orientation such that body tissue disposed proximally of the elongated marker is not compressed by the stabilizer member. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises:
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a housing defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway; a tissue marker operatively connected to a distal end of the elongated cable, the marker being selectively positionable in a retracted orientation disposed within the housing, an intermediate position wherein the marker is outside the housing spaced a distance from a distal end of the housing wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the relative orientation of the marker with respect to the housing independently of any support from the housing and a deployed orientation wherein the marker is rotated to a non-aligned relationship relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing; and an actuator assembly operatively associated with the tissue marker and movable between a first position and a second position to move the marker, the actuator assembly including a clamp operatively associated with the elongated cable to selectively prevent longitudinal movement of the elongated cable relative to the apparatus housing. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises:
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a needle assembly including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, the housing and elongated tube forming an longitudinal passageway therethrough; a marker assembly including an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway and an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation, wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the elongated tissue marker in each of said retracted and deployed orientations independently of any support from the elongated tube; and an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker, wherein movement of the actuator assembly from a first position to a second position moves the elongated marker from the retracted position to the deployed position.
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24. A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises:
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a needle including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, the housing and elongated tube forming a longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway and defining a central longitudinal axis; an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable and axially offset relative to the central longitudinal axis of the cable, the elongated marker being movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation; and an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker, wherein movement of the actuator assembly from a first position to a second position moves the elongated marker from the retracted orientation to the deployed orientation such that the elongated tissue marker is disposed outside the tube wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the relative orientation of the marker with respect to the housing independently of any support from the housing.
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25. A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises:
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a needle including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, the housing and elongated tube forming an longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway and defining a central longitudinal axis; an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable and being controllably movable from a retracted position, to an intermediate position and further controllably movable to a deployed position wherein the marker is reoriented with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated tube wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the relative orientation of the marker with respect to the housing independently of any support from the housing.
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Specification