Biopsy instrument with improved needle penetration
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A reciprocating needle biopsy device, comprising:
- (i) a housing;
(ii) a needle having a proximal portion and a distal portion, said needle being slidably retained at said proximal portion thereof within said housing, wherein the needle has a closed distal tip;
(iii) a firing mechanism adapted to releasably engage said needle, said firing mechanism comprising a firing member and a first spring configured to move said needle longitudinally in a distal direction, from a default position to a release position, wherein the release position is distal to the default position, wherein further said firing mechanism is adapted to disengage said needle at said release position, wherein said firing member is configured to move within said housing between a first position and a second position, wherein said first position is located distally of said second position, wherein said first spring comprises a first portion in communication with said firing member and a second portion in communication with a fixed portion of said housing, such that said first spring is adapted to store potential energy when said firing member is moved proximally within said housing from said first position to said second position, wherein further said first spring is adapted to convert the stored potential energy to kinetic energy, by urging the firing member distally, once the firing member reaches the second position;
(iv) an actuating member, wherein the actuating member is configured to actuate the firing mechanism, wherein the actuating member is configured to releasably engage the firing member, wherein the actuating member is configured to disengage the firing member at the second position; and
(v) a second spring comprising a first portion in communication with said needle and a second portion in communication with a fixed portion of said housing, such that said second spring is adapted to store potential energy when said needle is moved in the distal direction from said default position to said release position, wherein further said second spring is adapted to convert the stored potential energy to kinetic energy, by urging the needle proximally, once said needle disengages said firing mechanism;
wherein actuation of the firing mechanism performs a sequential action of moving the firing member in a proximal direction within the housing from the first position to the second position, while storing potential energy in the first spring, immediately followed by disengagement of the actuating member from the firing member once the firing member has reached the second position, thereby enabling the firing member to move distally toward the needle under the urging of the first spring, immediately followed by the firing member engaging the needle and moving said needle, in a distal direction, away from the housing, from the default position to the release position while storing potential energy in said second spring immediately followed by disengagement of the firing member from said needle enabling immediate return of said needle from the release position to the default position, in a proximal direction, opposite to the distal direction and toward the housing, under the urging of said second spring to complete a first reciprocating motion of said needle.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a biopsy instrument with improved needle penetration for piercing dense tissue. The device may comprise a needle slidably retained in a housing. The device may further comprise an actuation member that may be adapted to communicate longitudinal motion to the needle in a first direction. The device may further include a propulsion element that provides the needle with return motion in a second direction. The device may be fired multiple times to create repeating reciprocal motion. In one version, the device may reciprocate several times as a result of a single engagement of the actuation member.
143 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A reciprocating needle biopsy device, comprising:
-
(i) a housing; (ii) a needle having a proximal portion and a distal portion, said needle being slidably retained at said proximal portion thereof within said housing, wherein the needle has a closed distal tip; (iii) a firing mechanism adapted to releasably engage said needle, said firing mechanism comprising a firing member and a first spring configured to move said needle longitudinally in a distal direction, from a default position to a release position, wherein the release position is distal to the default position, wherein further said firing mechanism is adapted to disengage said needle at said release position, wherein said firing member is configured to move within said housing between a first position and a second position, wherein said first position is located distally of said second position, wherein said first spring comprises a first portion in communication with said firing member and a second portion in communication with a fixed portion of said housing, such that said first spring is adapted to store potential energy when said firing member is moved proximally within said housing from said first position to said second position, wherein further said first spring is adapted to convert the stored potential energy to kinetic energy, by urging the firing member distally, once the firing member reaches the second position; (iv) an actuating member, wherein the actuating member is configured to actuate the firing mechanism, wherein the actuating member is configured to releasably engage the firing member, wherein the actuating member is configured to disengage the firing member at the second position; and (v) a second spring comprising a first portion in communication with said needle and a second portion in communication with a fixed portion of said housing, such that said second spring is adapted to store potential energy when said needle is moved in the distal direction from said default position to said release position, wherein further said second spring is adapted to convert the stored potential energy to kinetic energy, by urging the needle proximally, once said needle disengages said firing mechanism; wherein actuation of the firing mechanism performs a sequential action of moving the firing member in a proximal direction within the housing from the first position to the second position, while storing potential energy in the first spring, immediately followed by disengagement of the actuating member from the firing member once the firing member has reached the second position, thereby enabling the firing member to move distally toward the needle under the urging of the first spring, immediately followed by the firing member engaging the needle and moving said needle, in a distal direction, away from the housing, from the default position to the release position while storing potential energy in said second spring immediately followed by disengagement of the firing member from said needle enabling immediate return of said needle from the release position to the default position, in a proximal direction, opposite to the distal direction and toward the housing, under the urging of said second spring to complete a first reciprocating motion of said needle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A reciprocating needle biopsy device, comprising:
-
(i) a housing comprising an actuating member, said actuating member being moveable from a first, non-activated position to a second, activated position; (ii) a driving arm comprising a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is pivotally attached to said actuating member, such that movement of said actuating member from said first, non-activated position to a second, activated position causes said second end to move proximally within said housing; (iii) a driving member adapted to engage said second end of said driving arm, such that when the driving member and driving arm are engaged movement of said actuating member from said first, non-activated position to said second, activated position causes said driving member to move proximally from a default position to a release position, wherein said default position is proximal to said release position, wherein further said driving member is adapted to disengage said second end of said driving arm at said release position; (iv) a needle having a proximal portion and a distal portion positioned distally of said driving member, said needle retained within said housing at said proximal portion thereof, said needle further being slideable in a distal direction from a resting position to an extended position, wherein the extended position is distal to the resting position, wherein the needle has a closed distal tip; (v) a compression spring comprising a first portion in communication with said driving member and a second portion in communication with a fixed portion of said housing located proximally of said compression spring;
wherein said compression spring is adapted to store potential energy when said driving member moves from said default position to said release position, said compression spring being adapted to return said driving member distally when said driving member disengages said second end of said driving arm, said driving member adapted to propel said needle in the distal direction to said extended position due to propulsion from said spring;(vi) a return spring, wherein the return spring is in communication with said actuating member, wherein said return spring is configured to automatically return said actuating member to said first, non-activated position after said driving arm disengages from said driving member, wherein the second end of said driving arm is configured to reengage said driving member as said actuating member returns to said first non-activated position; and (vii) a dampening element located in said housing distally of the proximal portion of said needle, wherein said dampening element is adapted to absorb the impact of said needle against said housing when said needle moves in the distal direction to said extended position and to return said needle to said resting position by urging the needle proximally to move the needle in a proximal direction, opposite to the distal direction and toward the housing, back to the resting position, such that the needle is moved distally and proximally by the urging of the compression spring and the dampening element, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A reciprocating needle biopsy device, comprising:
-
(i) a housing; (ii) a needle having a proximal portion and a distal portion and further comprising a lumen, said needle being slidably retained at said proximal portion thereof within said housing, said needle adapted to move longitudinally within said housing from a default position to a release position, wherein the release position is distal to the default position, wherein the needle has a closed distal tip at a distal end and is fixedly attached to a hub at a proximal end; (iii) a firing mechanism adapted to releasably engage said needle, said firing mechanism comprising a firing member configured to move said needle longitudinally in a distal direction from said default position to said release position, wherein the release position is distal to the default position, wherein further said firing mechanism further comprises a spring configured to return said needle to said default position by urging the needle proximally to move the needle in a proximal direction, opposite to the distal direction and toward the housing, back to the default position after the needle has been moved to the release position by the firing member, wherein the spring is engaged with the housing at a first end and engaged with the hub at a second end, wherein the spring is disposed distally of the hub; (iv) an actuating member, wherein the actuating member is configured to actuate the firing mechanism; and (v) a cutter positioned within the lumen and adapted to advance distally within said lumen independently of said firing mechanism; wherein actuation of the firing mechanism performs a sequential action of moving said needle distally from the default position to the release position, under the urging of said firing member, while storing potential energy in said spring immediately followed by disengagement from said needle enabling immediate return of said needle from the release position to the default position in the proximal direction, opposite to the distal direction and toward the housing, under the urging of said spring to complete a first reciprocating motion of said needle.
-
-
20. A method of penetrating dense tissue and obtaining a tissue sample comprising the steps of:
-
(i) providing a reciprocating needle biopsy device comprising (a) a housing comprising an actuating member, the actuating member being moveable from a first, non-activated position to a second, activated position, (b) a driving arm comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is pivotally attached to the actuating member, such that movement of the actuating member from the first, non-activated position to a second, activated position causes the second end to move proximally within the housing, (c) a driving member adapted to engage the second end of the driving arm, such that when the driving member and driving arm are engaged movement of the actuating member from the first, non-activated position to the second, activated position causes the driving member to move proximally from a default position to a release position, wherein further the driving member is adapted to disengage the second end of the driving arm at the release position, (d) a needle having a proximal portion and a distal portion positioned distally of the driving member, the needle retained within the housing at the proximal portion thereof, the needle further being slideable in a distal direction from a resting position to an extended position, wherein the extended position is distal to the resting position, wherein the needle has a closed distal tip, (e) a compression spring comprising a first portion in communication with the driving member and a second portion in communication with a fixed portion of the housing located proximally of the compression spring;
wherein the compression spring is adapted to store potential energy when the driving member moves from the default position to the release position, the compression spring being adapted to return the driving member distally when the driving member disengages the second end of the driving arm, the driving member adapted to propel the needle in the distal direction to the extended position due to propulsion from the spring,(f) a return spring, wherein the return spring is in communication with the actuating member, wherein the return spring is configured to automatically return the actuating member to the first, non-activated position after the driving arm disengages from the driving member, wherein the second end of the driving arm is configured to reengage the driving member as the actuating member returns to the first non-activated position, and (g) a dampening element located in the housing distally of the proximal portion of the needle, wherein the dampening element is adapted to absorb the impact of the needle against the housing when the needle moves in the distal direction to the extended position and to return the needle to the resting position by urging the needle proximally to move the needle in a proximal direction, opposite to the distal direction and toward the housing, back to the resting position, such that the needle is moved distally and proximally by the urging of the compression spring and the dampening element, respectively, (h) a cutter positioned within the needle adapted to advance distally within the needle independently of actuation of the reciprocating needle biopsy device; (ii) inserting the reciprocating needle biopsy device into tissue, wherein a portion of the tissue comprises tissue of interest; (iii) actuating a reciprocating firing stroke of the reciprocating needle biopsy device while the distal portion of the needle is in the tissue by transitioning the actuating member from the first, non-activated position to the second, activated position, thereby causing the distal portion of the needle to sequentially extend distally from the resting position to the extended position and immediately retract proximally from the extended position to the resting position such that the distal portion of the needle remains within the tissue during the entire firing stroke, wherein the actuating member automatically returns to the first, non-activated position from the second, activated position during the firing stroke; (iv) repeating step (iii) as necessary to place the reciprocating needle biopsy device adjacent to the tissue of interest; (v) placing the reciprocating needle biopsy device adjacent to the tissue of interest; (vi) advancing the cutter through the needle independently of actuation of the needle biopsy device; and (vii) obtaining a sample of the tissue of interest after the reciprocating needle biopsy device has been placed adjacent the tissue of interest.
-
Specification