Tissue acquisition device with indication system

Abstract

Among other things, there is disclosed a biopsy needle system in which the needle is capable of obtaining more than one length of sample. Generally, the needle includes an inner stylet, an outer cannula, and a handle connected to the stylet and cannula. The stylet has a notch that is extendable from the cannula to accommodate a tissue sample. An insert member is provided for attachment to the handle to make the amount of exposed notch smaller. Consequently, when the insert member is not attached to the handle, the needle can obtain a larger sample of tissue, and when the insert member is attached to the handle, the needle can obtain a smaller sample of tissue.

1 . A tissue sample acquisition device, comprising:
 a handle, the handle having an upper surface adapted to generally face a user during use of the device, the upper surface having at least first and second openings;   an actuator adapted to be pulled and pushed with respect to the handle;   a sampling portion having a slide member operatively connected to the actuator and adapted to slide with respect to the upper surface of the handle, an elongated cannula at least partially extending from the handle, and a hub connecting the cannula and the slide member, the sampling portion having at least one visually contrasting portion, the at least one visually contrasting portion having an immediately observable visual contrast with one or more adjacent parts of the sampling portion and with the handle;   wherein at least part of the sampling portion and the handle are movable with respect to each other between at least a first relative configuration and a second relative configuration, the first relative configuration corresponding to an unarmed state in which the cannula is fully forward and the second relative configuration corresponding to an armed state in which the actuator is pulled back, and wherein when the sampling portion and handle are in the first relative configuration, at least part of the at least one visually contrasting portion is visible through the first opening, and when the sampling portion and handle are in the second relative configuration, at least part of the at least one visually contrasting portion is visible through the second opening.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one visually contrasting portion is at least part of the slide member. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one visually contrasting portion is at least part of the hub. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the hub is a part fitted into the slide member, the slide member being of substantially the same color as the handle, and the hub at least partially of a color visually contrasting with the slide member. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the hub is of a solid color. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the handle has a longitudinal axis generally parallel to a portion of the elongated needle adjacent to or within the handle, and wherein a line connecting the first and second openings is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the handle has a longitudinal axis generally parallel to a portion of the elongated cannula adjacent to or within the handle, and wherein the first opening is laterally offset to a first side of the longitudinal axis and the second opening is laterally offset to a second side of the longitudinal axis, so that when the upper surface of the handle is observed, the longitudinal axis is between and not intersecting the first and second openings. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sampling portion includes first and second visually contrasting portions, and wherein in the first relative configuration the first visually contrasting portion is visible through the first opening, and in the second relative configuration the second visually contrasting portion is visible through the second opening. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second visually contrasting portions include different colors. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative configuration is a relative position between the slide member and the surface wherein the slide member is held at rest relative to the surface, and the second relative configuration is a relative position between the slide member and the surface wherein the slide member has been retracted from the first relative configuration and is held at rest relative to the surface. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said slide member includes first and second visually contrasting portions and a longitudinal axis, wherein the first and second visually contrasting portions are offset from each other longitudinally and offset laterally from and on respective sides of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein in the first relative configuration, the first visually contrasting portion is visible through the first opening, and in the second relative configuration, the second visually contrasting portion is visible through the second opening. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein in the first relative configuration, a different view is visible through the second opening, the different view comprising one of (a) a part of the sampling portion visually similar to an area adjacent the second opening and (b) empty space. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein in the second relative configuration, a different view is visible through the first opening, the different view comprising one of (a) a part of the sampling portion visually similar to an area adjacent the second opening and (b) empty space. 
     
     
         17 . A tissue sample acquisition device, comprising:
 a handle having a first observation area and a second observation area, each observation area comprising a respective opening through the handle and spaced from each other;   an actuator adapted to be pulled and pushed with respect to the handle;   a sampling portion operatively connected to the actuator and including an elongated member, wherein the sampling portion and the handle have at least a first relative configuration and a second relative configuration, the first relative configuration corresponding to an operative state that is either unarmed or armed to enable the sampling portion to capture a size of tissue sample, and the second relative configuration corresponding to an operative state that is armed to enable the sampling portion to capture a different size of tissue sample, and wherein when the sampling portion and handle are in the first relative configuration, the first observation area has a highlighted condition, and when the sampling portion and handle are in the second relative configuration, the second observation area has a highlighted condition.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second observation areas cannot have their respective highlighted conditions at the same time. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the highlighted condition of the first observation area includes visibility of a visually contrasting portion of the sampling portion through the opening. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second observation areas are at least one of (a) longitudinally separated from each other, and (b) laterally offset from each other on respective sides of a longitudinal axis of the handle.