Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A surgical biopsy instrument for extracting at least one tissue sample from a body, said surgical biopsy instrument comprising: a vacuum source; an elongated hollow piercing needle for penetrating said body, said needle having a proximal end and a distal piercing tip opposite said proximal end, said needle also including a needle passageway extending between said proximal end and said tip, said needle having a plurality of tissue receiving ports adjacent to said piercing tip said tissue receiving ports being circumferentially disposed around a longitudinal axis of said needle, said tissue receiving ports communicating with said needle passageway for the reception of a tissue sample therein; a cutter moveably disposed relative to said needle, said cutter having a distal cutting blade at a distal end of said cutter, said cutting blade being moveable across any of said tissue receiving ports of said needle for cutting said tissue sample; and a tissue extractor connected to said vacuum source, said extractor being moveably disposed relative to said needle, said tissue extractor having a tissue receptacle therein and an extractor channel therethrough, said tissue receptacle communicating with said extractor channel, said tissue receptacle being alignable with at least one of said tissue receiving ports of said piercing needle for defining a selected port for reception of said tissue sample therein upon an application of said vacuum source, each tissue receiving port that is not aligned with said tissue receptacle being defined as a non-selected port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A surgical biopsy instrument for extracting at least one tissue sample from a body, said surgical biopsy instrument comprising: a vacuum source; an elongated hollow piercing needle for penetrating said body, said needle having a proximal end and a distal piercing tip opposite said proximal end, said needle also including a needle passageway extending between said proximal end and said tip, said needle having a plurality of tissue receiving ports adjacent to said piercing tip said tissue receiving ports being circumferentially disposed around a longitudinal axis of said needle, said tissue receiving ports communicating with said needle passageway for the reception of a tissue sample therein; a cutter moveably disposed relative to said needle, said cutter having a distal cutting blade at a distal end of said cutter, said cutting blade being moveable across any of said tissue receiving ports of said needle for cutting said tissue sample; and a tissue extractor connected to said vacuum source, said extractor being moveably disposed relative to said needle, said tissue extractor having a tissue receptacle therein and an extractor channel therethrough, said tissue receptacle communicating with said extractor channel, said tissue receptacle being alignable with at least one of said tissue receiving ports of said piercing needle for defining a selected port for reception of said tissue sample therein upon an application of said vacuum source, each tissue receiving port that is not aligned with said tissue receptacle being defined as a non-selected port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 1, wherein said tissue extractor obstructs said non-selected ports.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 2, including a detent member for selectively aligning said tissue receptacle of said tissue extractor with said selected port.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 3, wherein said cutting blade is rotatable and movable across said tissue receiving ports when cutting said tissue sample.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 4, wherein said cutter is movably disposed within said needle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The surgical biopsy needle of claim 5, wherein said tissue extractor is movably disposed within said needle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The surgical biopsy needle of claim 6, wherein said tissue extractor is removably positioned within said needle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 7, including a driver for moving said cutter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 8, wherein said piercing needle is mounted to said driver, said piercing needle having an alignment mount for restricting rotation of said piercing needle.