Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A biopsy tool, comprising: a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end; a lateral opening in said needle; a hollow cannula coaxially mountable to said needle for selective purely longitudinal movement relative to said needle to block said lateral opening; locking means for locking said cannula against pure longitudinal movement relative to said needle; and suction means connectable to said needle; wherein said locking means locks said cannula by rotational movement of said cannula relative to said needle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A biopsy tool, comprising: a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end; a lateral opening in said needle; a hollow cannula coaxially mountable to said needle for selective purely longitudinal movement relative to said needle to block said lateral opening; locking means for locking said cannula against pure longitudinal movement relative to said needle; and suction means connectable to said needle; wherein said locking means locks said cannula by rotational movement of said cannula relative to said needle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 1, where said locking means comprises: a locking barrel mounted on a proximal end of said needle; a guide groove in a surface of said locking barrel; and a follower pin on said cannula, said pin being positioned for movement along said guide groove from a first position where said cannula is locked, to a second position where said cannula is unlocked, for pure longitudinal movement relative to said needle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sharp edge on said cannula for cutting any tissue extending through said lateral opening, when said cannula is moved to block said lateral opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sharp edge aligns with said distal end of said needle to promote ease of insertion into a patient.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said suction means comprises a syringe having a plunger.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
97 words
A biopsy tool, comprising: a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end; a lateral opening in said needle; a hollow cannula coaxially mountable to said needle for selective movement relative to said needle to block said lateral opening; a syringe connectable to said needle, said syringe having a plunger; a locking barrel mounted on a proximal end of said needle; a male luer lock on said locking barrel; a female luer lock on said syringe; and a selectively releasable latch mounted on said syringe to hold said plunger in an inserted position within said syringe.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
97 words
A biopsy tool, comprising: a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end; a lateral opening in said needle; a hollow cannula coaxially mountable to said needle for selective movement relative to said needle to block said lateral opening; a syringe connectable to said needle, said syringe having a plunger; a locking barrel mounted on a proximal end of said needle; a male luer lock on said locking barrel; a female luer lock on said syringe; and a selectively releasable latch mounted on said syringe to hold said plunger in an inserted position within said syringe.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 6, further comprising biasing means for biasing said plunger toward a withdrawn position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
115 words
A biopsy tool, comprising: a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end; a lateral opening in said needle, near said distal end of said needle; a locking barrel coaxially mountable on a proximal end of said needle; a hollow cannula coaxially mountable on the exterior of said needle and said locking barrel, for selective movement relative to said needle to block said lateral opening; a guide groove on an exterior surface of said locking barrel; a follower pin projecting radially inwardly from an interior surface of said cannula, into said guide groove, for controlling the relative positions of said cannula and said needle; and suction means connectable in fluid communication with said needle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
115 words
A biopsy tool, comprising: a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end; a lateral opening in said needle, near said distal end of said needle; a locking barrel coaxially mountable on a proximal end of said needle; a hollow cannula coaxially mountable on the exterior of said needle and said locking barrel, for selective movement relative to said needle to block said lateral opening; a guide groove on an exterior surface of said locking barrel; a follower pin projecting radially inwardly from an interior surface of said cannula, into said guide groove, for controlling the relative positions of said cannula and said needle; and suction means connectable in fluid communication with said needle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
85 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 8, wherein: said selective movement of said cannula is longitudinal relative to said needle; said follower pin moves from a first position in said guide groove to a second position in said guide groove; when said follower pin is in said first position, said cannula is prevented from purely longitudinal movement relative to said needle; and when said follower pin is in said second position, said cannula is allowed to have purely longitudinal movement relative to said needle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 8, wherein said suction means comprises a syringe having a plunger within a barrel,
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
A biopsy tool as claimed in claim 10, further comprising biasing means for biasing said plunger toward a position withdrawn from said barrel of said syringe.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
167 words
A method for taking a biopsy sample of tissue, comprising the steps of: providing a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end and a lateral opening near said distal end; coaxially mounting a hollow cannula on said needle so as to block said lateral opening; inserting said distal end of said needle and said cannula into the tissue to be sampled; moving said cannula relative to said needle to expose said lateral opening to the tissue; maneuvering said distal end of said needle to place the sample of tissue inside said needle through said lateral opening; moving said cannula relative to said needle to cut the sample from the tissue; attaching a syringe to said needle, said syringe having a plunger which is spring biased toward a withdrawn position, said syringe also having a selectively releasable latch holding said plunger in an inserted position; and releasing said latch to allow said plunger to move toward said withdrawn position, thereby drawing a suction on said needle.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
167 words
A method for taking a biopsy sample of tissue, comprising the steps of: providing a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end and a lateral opening near said distal end; coaxially mounting a hollow cannula on said needle so as to block said lateral opening; inserting said distal end of said needle and said cannula into the tissue to be sampled; moving said cannula relative to said needle to expose said lateral opening to the tissue; maneuvering said distal end of said needle to place the sample of tissue inside said needle through said lateral opening; moving said cannula relative to said needle to cut the sample from the tissue; attaching a syringe to said needle, said syringe having a plunger which is spring biased toward a withdrawn position, said syringe also having a selectively releasable latch holding said plunger in an inserted position; and releasing said latch to allow said plunger to move toward said withdrawn position, thereby drawing a suction on said needle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step of moving said cannula to expose said lateral opening is a longitudinal movement.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step of moving said cannula to cut the sample is a longitudinal movement.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
247 words
A method for taking a biopsy sample of tissue, comprising the steps of: providing a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end and a lateral opening near said distal end; attaching a syringe to said needle, said syringe having a plunger which is latched in a first position inserted in a barrel of said syringe by a selectively releasable latch, and said syringe having a biasing means for biasing said plunger toward a second position withdrawn from said syringe barrel; coaxially mounting a hollow cannula on said needle so as to block said lateral opening; locking said cannula against longitudinal movement relative to said needle, with a distal end of said cannula aligned with said distal end of said needle; inserting said distal end of said needle and said cannula into the tissue to be sampled; unlocking said cannula to allow longitudinal movement relative to said needle; withdrawing said cannula longitudinally relative to said needle to expose said lateral opening to the tissue; maneuvering said distal end of said needle to place the sample of tissue inside said needle through said lateral opening; advancing said cannula longitudinally relative to said needle to cut the sample from the tissue; positioning said distal end of said needle in a fluid; withdrawing said cannula longitudinally relative to said needle to expose said lateral opening to the fluid; and releasing said latch to allow said plunger to move toward said withdrawn position to draw the sample into said syringe.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
247 words
A method for taking a biopsy sample of tissue, comprising the steps of: providing a hollow needle, said needle having a closed distal end and a lateral opening near said distal end; attaching a syringe to said needle, said syringe having a plunger which is latched in a first position inserted in a barrel of said syringe by a selectively releasable latch, and said syringe having a biasing means for biasing said plunger toward a second position withdrawn from said syringe barrel; coaxially mounting a hollow cannula on said needle so as to block said lateral opening; locking said cannula against longitudinal movement relative to said needle, with a distal end of said cannula aligned with said distal end of said needle; inserting said distal end of said needle and said cannula into the tissue to be sampled; unlocking said cannula to allow longitudinal movement relative to said needle; withdrawing said cannula longitudinally relative to said needle to expose said lateral opening to the tissue; maneuvering said distal end of said needle to place the sample of tissue inside said needle through said lateral opening; advancing said cannula longitudinally relative to said needle to cut the sample from the tissue; positioning said distal end of said needle in a fluid; withdrawing said cannula longitudinally relative to said needle to expose said lateral opening to the fluid; and releasing said latch to allow said plunger to move toward said withdrawn position to draw the sample into said syringe.