Biopsy needle system and method for obtaining a tissue biopsy specimen

Abstract

A biopsy needle system includes a carrier. A trocar is inserted into the carrier for percutaneous insertion to a biopsy site. A biopsy needle is inserted into the carrier, replacing the trocar, for removal of a tissue biopsy specimen. A biopsy needle and a method for obtaining a tissue biopsy specimen with the system, are also provided.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A biopsy needle system, comprising:
 a carrier;   a trocar to be inserted into said carrier for percutaneous insertion to a biopsy site;   a biopsy needle to be inserted into said carrier, replacing said trocar, for removal of a tissue biopsy specimen;   a syringe including a connector configured to mate with a connector of said biopsy needle, after insertion of said biopsy needle into said carrier, for applying a vacuum to assist in tissue migration into said biopsy needle, said syringe including a body and a plunger; and   said body of said syringe including a lip around a top of said body and said plunger including at least one angled notch configured to engage and lock with said lip when said plunger is moved off center in said body.   
     
     
         2 . The biopsy needle system of  claim 1 , wherein said plunger includes a plurality of angled notches configured to engage and lock with said lip. 
     
     
         3 . The biopsy needle system of  claim 2 , wherein said lip is an upwardly-angled lip and said plurality of angled notches are downwardly-angled notches. 
     
     
         4 . A method for obtaining a tissue biopsy specimen, the method which comprises the following steps:
 providing a biopsy system according to  claim 1 ;   inserting the trocar into the carrier;   inserting the carrier with the trocar percutaneously to a biopsy site;   removing the trocar from the carrier;   inserting the biopsy needle into the carrier;   engaging the syringe to the biopsy needle using the connector configured to mate with a connector of the biopsy needle, for applying a vacuum to assist in tissue migration into the biopsy needle;   applying vacuum to the lumen of the biopsy needle with the syringe;   locking the plunger relative to the body of the syringe by moving the plunger off center in the body of the syringe and engaging the at least one angled notch of the plunger with the lip at the top of the body; and   removing the tissue biopsy specimen with the biopsy needle.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the plunger includes a plurality of angled notches configured to engage and lock with the lip. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the lip is an upwardly-angled lip and the plurality of angled notches are downwardly-angled notches. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the syringe is filled with saline prior to connection with the biopsy needle. 
     
     
         8 . A biopsy needle system, comprising:
 a carrier;   a trocar to be inserted into said carrier for percutaneous insertion to a biopsy site;   a biopsy needle to be inserted into said carrier, replacing said trocar, for removal of a tissue biopsy specimen; and   a single-piece, biopsy depth gauge and depth controller including a multiplicity of fitting regions configured to engage said biopsy needle.   
     
     
         9 . The biopsy needle system of  claim 8 , wherein said controller is domino-shaped, having a long dimension and a short dimension unequal to said long dimension, at least one of said multiplicity of fitting regions passing through said long dimension and at least another one of said multiplicity of fitting regions passing through said short dimension, so that each of said at least one of said multiplicity of fitting regions and said at least another one of said multiplicity of fitting regions permits a different biopsy depth. 
     
     
         10 . The biopsy needle system of  claim 9 , wherein said domino-shaped controller additionally has a medium dimension unequal to said long dimension and said short dimension, at least a further one of said multiplicity of fitting regions passing through said medium dimension. 
     
     
         11 . The biopsy needle system of  claim 8 , wherein said multiplicity of fitting regions include at least one self-grasping fitted slot configured to snap-on said biopsy needle and at least one fitted hole sized for the biopsy needle to slide through, said at least one fitted hole not permitting a snap-on engagement with said biopsy needle. 
     
     
         12 . The biopsy needle system of  claim 11 , wherein said controller is domino-shaped, having a long dimension and a short dimension unequal to said long dimension, and both of said at least one self-grasping fitted slot and said at least one fitted hole extend through a same one of said long dimension or said short dimension. 
     
     
         13 . The biopsy needle system of  claim 8 , wherein said controller is domino-shaped, having a long length dimension, a medium width dimension and a short depth dimension, and said multiplicity of fittings is at least six fittings with at least one self-grasping fitted slot and at least one fitted hole extending through each of said long length dimension, said medium width dimension and said short depth dimension. 
     
     
         14 . A method for obtaining a tissue biopsy specimen, the method which comprises the following steps:
 inserting a trocar into a carrier;   inserting the carrier with the trocar percutaneously to a biopsy site;   removing the trocar from the carrier;   inserting a biopsy needle into the carrier;   providing a single-piece, biopsy depth gauge and depth controller including a multiplicity of fitting regions configured to engage the biopsy needle;   engaging the single-piece biopsy depth gauge and depth controller with the biopsy needle using one of the multiplicity of fitting regions; and   removing the tissue biopsy specimen with the biopsy needle.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the single-piece biopsy depth gauge and depth controller is domino-shaped, having a long dimension and a short dimension unequal to the long dimension, at least one of the multiplicity of fitting regions passing through the long dimension and at least another one of the multiplicity of fitting regions passing through the short dimension, so that each of the at least one of the multiplicity of fitting regions and the at least another one of the multiplicity of fitting regions permits a different biopsy depth. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the domino-shaped controller additionally has a medium dimension unequal to the long dimension and the short dimension, at least a further one of the multiplicity of fitting regions passing through the medium dimension. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the multiplicity of fitting regions include at least one self-grasping fitted slot configured to snap-on the biopsy needle and at least one fitted hole sized for the biopsy needle to slide through, the at least one fitted hole not permitting a snap-on engagement with the biopsy needle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the biopsy needle is passed through the at least one fitted hole of the single-piece biopsy depth gauge and depth controller prior to the step of inserting the biopsy needle into the carrier. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the single-piece biopsy depth gauge and depth controller is snapped-on to the biopsy needle using the at least one self-grasping fitted slot after the step of inserting the biopsy needle into the carrier. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is domino-shaped, having a long dimension and a short dimension unequal to the long dimension, and both of the at least one self-grasping fitted slot and the at least one fitted hole extend through a same one of the long dimension or the short dimension. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is domino-shaped, having a long length dimension, a medium width dimension and a short depth dimension, and the multiplicity of fittings is at least six fittings with at least one self-grasping fitted slot and at least one fitted hole extending through each of the long length dimension, the medium width dimension and the short depth dimension.