Endoscopic multiple biopsy instrument

Claim 1

An endoscopic biopsy instrument for collecting tissue samples, the biopsy instrument having a diameter sufficiently small to be used with an endoscopic fiber-optic device, the instrument comprising: a tubular body having a distal end and a proximal end, a lateral opening in the body positioned a selected distance from the distal end, the selected distance being sufficient to create a storage chamber within the tubular body to accommodate a plurality of tissue samples proximate the distal end of the tubular body; an elongated flexible tube attached to the proximal end of the tubular body; a removeable cap detachably secured to the distal end of the tubular body for allowing removal of tissue samples stored in the storage chamber of the tubular body through the distal end thereof upon detaching the cap from the distal end of the tubular body; means for applying a vacuum within the tubular body to draw selected tissue samples through the lateral opening into the tubular body; severing means having an axial opening therein, the severing means being longitudinally slidable within the tubular body past the lateral opening for severing a tissue sample from adjacent tissue; the severing means being separate from the storage chamber; plunger means longitudinally slidable within the tubular body and within the axial opening in the severing means for pushing an individual severed tissue sample toward the cap and into the storage chamber and for pushing subsequently severed tissue samples toward the cap and into the storage chamber, and separate, flexible elongated means for separately reciprocating the severing means and the plunger means.