Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of removing a specimen of breast tissue that is cut from surrounding breast tissue, comprising the steps of: providing a device that includes a shaft and a tissue collection element coupled to the shaft, the tissue collection clement including a thin flexible membrane and being movable between a retracted position to an expanded position; introducing the device into the breast tissue with the tissue collection element in the retracted position; expanding the tissue collection element to the expanded position after the introducing step; moving the tissue collection element to capture the cut specimen; encapsulating the cut specimen with the thin flexible membrane while maintaining the cut specimen intact and isolating the captured specimen from contact with the surrounding breast tissue and returning the tissue collection element to the refracted position while maintaining the cut specimen intact and encapsulated; removing the device from the breast tissue while the specimen remains encapsulated within the thin flexible membrane of the retracted tissue collection element.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of removing a specimen of breast tissue that is cut from surrounding breast tissue, comprising the steps of: providing a device that includes a shaft and a tissue collection element coupled to the shaft, the tissue collection clement including a thin flexible membrane and being movable between a retracted position to an expanded position; introducing the device into the breast tissue with the tissue collection element in the retracted position; expanding the tissue collection element to the expanded position after the introducing step; moving the tissue collection element to capture the cut specimen; encapsulating the cut specimen with the thin flexible membrane while maintaining the cut specimen intact and isolating the captured specimen from contact with the surrounding breast tissue and returning the tissue collection element to the refracted position while maintaining the cut specimen intact and encapsulated; removing the device from the breast tissue while the specimen remains encapsulated within the thin flexible membrane of the retracted tissue collection element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step is carried out with the tissue collection element including a flexible element to which the thin flexible membrane is attached and wherein the expanding step is carried out with the tissue collection element bowing away from the shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the encapsulating step is carried out with the thin flexible membrane forming a bag.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the bag is configured to selectively open to capture the cut specimen and close to encapsulate the cut specimen as the tissue collection element bows away from and back toward the shaft, respectively.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving step includes rotating the shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving step is carried out with the tissue collection element moving along an arc.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating step is carried out with the tissue collection element expanding to a size at least equal to the size of the cut specimen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis and wherein: the introducing step includes positioning the shaft along side of the cut specimen; and the moving step includes rotating the shaft about the longitudinal axis while moving the tissue collection element from the retracted position to the expanded and back to the retracted position to capture and encapsulate the cut specimen as the shaft rotates.