Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A surgical biopsy instrument for extracting at least one tissue sample from a body, said surgical biopsy instrument comprising: a piercing needle for penetrating said body, said piercing needle having a distal piercing tip and an open proximal end and a passageway extending therebetween, said piercing needle having at least one tissue receiving port adjacent to said piercing tip and communicating with said passageway, said tissue receiving port for the reception of a tissue sample therein; and a cutting member removably disposed within said passageway of said piercing needle, said cutting member having a proximal end and a distal end comprising a distal sampling segment, said distal sampling segment having a distal cutting edge and a bore extending therein, said distal sampling segment being moveable across said tissue receiving port of said piercing needle for the cutting and acquisition of a tissue sample therein, the tissue sample being received within said bore of said distal sampling segment, said distal sampling segment being breakable from said elongated cutting member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
A surgical biopsy instrument for extracting at least one tissue sample from a body, said surgical biopsy instrument comprising: a piercing needle for penetrating said body, said piercing needle having a distal piercing tip and an open proximal end and a passageway extending therebetween, said piercing needle having at least one tissue receiving port adjacent to said piercing tip and communicating with said passageway, said tissue receiving port for the reception of a tissue sample therein; and a cutting member removably disposed within said passageway of said piercing needle, said cutting member having a proximal end and a distal end comprising a distal sampling segment, said distal sampling segment having a distal cutting edge and a bore extending therein, said distal sampling segment being moveable across said tissue receiving port of said piercing needle for the cutting and acquisition of a tissue sample therein, the tissue sample being received within said bore of said distal sampling segment, said distal sampling segment being breakable from said elongated cutting member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 1 , wherein said piercing needle is operably coupled to a vacuum source to draw a portion of tissue into said at least one tissue receiving port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 2 , wherein said cutting member includes a plurality of sampling segments, each of said plurality of sampling segments having a cutting edge and a bore therein, said sampling segments breakably attached with respect to each other to form said cutting member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 3 , wherein said distal sampling segment of said cutting member has an exposed cutting edge for cutting a tissue sample.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 4 , wherein each of said plurality of sampling members have at least one sample retainer extending into said bore, said sample retainers for the retention of a tissue sample therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 5 , wherein each of said plurality of sampling members has an identifier thereon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 6 , wherein said identifier is a number.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of sampling members is breakably held together by an external frangible layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 8 , wherein said external frangible layer has perforations therein to reduce a force to break each of said plurality of sampling members from said cutting member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The surgical biopsy instrument of claim 9 , wherein said external frangible layer is shrink tubing.