Split biopsy needle

Claim 1

A SPLIT BIOPSY NEEDLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR NEEDLE HAVING A HANDLE PORTION AT ONE END AND SPLIT LONGITUDINALLY INTO TWO COMPLEMENTARY SEMI-CYLINDRICAL SECTIONS AT LEAST FOR A PORTION OF ITS LENGTH AND EXTENDING TO ITS OPPOSITE END, WITH SAID SECTIONS BEING EACH FORMED WITH A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL EDGES WHICH ENGAGE THE EDGES OF THE OTHER SECTION EXCEPT AT THE OPPOSITE END, AND WITH SAID EDGES ON EACH SECTION BEING DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE CONVERGING TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND DIVERGING FROM THE EDGES OF THE OPPOSITE SECTION ADJACENT SAID OPPOSITE END TO FORM A BIFURCATED END PROVIDED WTH TWO POINTS RESPECTIVELY ON THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF SAID SECTIONS AND WITH EACH OF SAID SECTIONS BEING FORMED WITH TABS ADJACENT THE POINTS WITH THE OPPOSITE FACES OF BOTH TABS PROJECTING AT AN ANGLE AWAY FROM THE POINTS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER, SAID ANGULARLY DISPOSED TABS HAVING THEIR UPPER EDGES FORMED AT A RELATIVELY SHARP ACUTE ANGLE TO PROVIDE MEANS FOR CUTTING THE BIOPSY AS SAID SPLIT BIOPSY NEEDLE IS WITHDRAWN, SAID ANGULARLY DISPOSED PORTIONS OF THE EDGES OF THE SECTIONS AND SAID TABS SERVING AS CAMS TO SPREAD SAID SECTIONS AS THE NEEDLE IS INSERTED AND IS TABS SERVING TO BRING SAID SECTIONS INTO ENGAGEMENT AND TO CUT AND HOLD THE BIOPSY AS THE NEEDLE IS WITHDRAWN.