Apparatus for safely and accurately excising core tissue samples from palpated nodules or surface lesions

摘要

Apparatus for safely and accurately positioning the fingertip of a physician (or technician) performing a biopsy procedure, e.g., to excise a core tissue samples of the male prostate or other internal organs, to avoid injury (e.g., a needle stick) from the sharpened distal end of a biopsy needle assembly. Such apparatus comprises an open tubular member defining an elongated passageway through which a biopsy needle assembly, when actuated, can be made to pass and to extend a predetermined distance along an external path in order to effect the core sampling of a biological mass of interest. The tubular housing supports a safety flange at its distal end, such flange having a flat surface adapted to be engaged by the fingertip of the physician prior to actuation of the biopsy needle assembly. Preferably, the engaged surface of the safety flange defines a physical fiducial adapted to be sensed by theuser's fingertip, such fiducial being located a predetermined safe distance from the external path traveled by the needle assembly, whereby the physician is assured that his or her fingertip is safely spaced from the needle assembly when actuated, and the distal end of the tubular housing is precisely positioned relative to a biological mass of interest.

主权项

1. Apparatus for biopsing a biological mass that has been palpated by the fingertip of a user, said apparatus comprising:
(a) an elongated hollow tubular housing having opposing proximal and distal ends, said tubular housing being adapted to be hand-held by a person performing a biopsy procedure and defining an open longitudinal passageway extending between the opposing ends of said tubular housing, said passageway being constructed (i) to slidably receive a selectively actuatable biopsy needle assembly inserted into the passageway at the proximal end of said tubular member, and (ii) to guide the biopsy needle assembly, when actuated, through the passageway until a portion of the needle assembly exits from the distal end of said tubular housing and extends a predetermined distance from said distal end along an external path required to excise a core sample of interest; and (b) a rigid safety flange member having opposing proximal and distal ends, said proximal end of said flange member being rigidly coupled to the distal end of said tubular housing and extending outward from the longitudinal axis of said passageway at an acute angle, said flange member having a top surface adapted to be engaged by the fingertip of the user at the time the biopsy needle assembly is actuated for the purpose of positioning such fingertip a safe distance from said external path along which said biopsy needle assembly travels when exiting said tubular housing.