Tissue sampler

Abstract

The invention relates to a tissue sampler for taking samples of tissue from animal's or plants. The tissue sampler is adapted to hold a storage tube in which a tissue sample is to be placed and to hold a magazine comprising one or more collecting devices. Each collecting device comprises a punch for cutting a tissue sampler and a plunger for pushing the tissue sample into the storage tube. The magazine can be moved after each tissue sample is taken so that a fresh collection device is ready to take the next tissue sample. The invention also relates to a magazine comprising a plurality of collecting devices for use with the tissue sampler.

1 . A tissue sampler comprising:
 a storage tube holder adapted in use to accommodate a storage tube for receiving a tissue sample;   a magazine housing adapted in use to accommodate a movable collecting device magazine having a plurality of chambers, each chamber being adapted to receive therein a collecting device and being selectively positionable so as to be aligned with the tube holder;   a cutting region provided between the tube holder and the magazine housing to accommodate an item from which the tissue sample is to be taken;   actuating means adapted to cause the movement of the collecting device from its chamber, through the item to cut a tissue sample from the item, and into a first end of the storage tube.   
     
     
         2 . The tissue sampler of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine housing comprises a front wall, a rear wall, and a connecting wall and wherein a cutting region aperture is formed in the front wall and extends between the magazine housing and the cutting region, and a ram receiving aperture is formed in the rear wall and substantially aligns with the cutting region aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The tissue sampler of  claim 1 , wherein a retractable magazine locator projects into the magazine housing. 
     
     
         4 . The tissue sampler of  claim 1 , wherein a chamber locator is provided within the magazine housing and is adapted to engage with the magazine to align a chamber of the magazine with the cutting region aperture and the ram receiving aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The tissue sampler of  claim 1 , wherein the storage tube holder comprises a front wall and a rear wall and wherein a sample receiving aperture is provided in the rear wall and connects to the cutting region. 
     
     
         6 . The tissue sampler of  claim 5 , wherein the sample receiving aperture is dimensioned to receive a portion of the storage tube therein. 
     
     
         7 . The tissue sampler of  claim 1 , further comprising the collecting device magazine having a centrally located bore, wherein the plurality of chambers are evenly spaced around the bore, and wherein a collecting device is held within one or more of the chambers. 
     
     
         8 . The tissue sampler of  claim 1 , wherein the collecting device comprises a punch and a plunger, the punch having a centrally located bore, a cutting end and a pushing end, wherein a cutting element is located at the cutting end of the punch, the cutting element comprising a wall surrounding the bore and comprising a cutting edge, wherein a sample holding cavity is formed within the wall of the cutting element, wherein the plunger comprises a first end and an opposing second end, and wherein the plunger is located within the bore of the punch and is able to slide within the bore of the punch. 
     
     
         9 . The tissue sampler of  claim 8 , wherein the plunger comprises an RFID tag. 
     
     
         10 . The tissue sampler of  claim 8 , wherein the first end of the plunger is enlarged. 
     
     
         11 . The tissue sampler of  claim 8 , wherein the first end of the plunger comprises a non-stick material on its surface. 
     
     
         12 . The tissue sampler of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle including a gripping member and a trigger pivotably attached to the gripping member. 
     
     
         13 . The tissue sampler of  claim 12 , wherein the actuation means comprises the trigger and a ram connected to the trigger by a linkage, the ram being adapted to slide within a ram housing connected to the ram receiving aperture upon movement of the trigger, such that moving the trigger to an engaged position causes the ram to project from the ram housing and through the cutting region aperture. 
     
     
         14 . The tissue sampler of  claim 13 , wherein the ram has a first end and a second end, and wherein a guiding recess is formed in the first end of the ram for receiving the second end of the plunger of a collecting device therein. 
     
     
         15 . The tissue sampler of  claim 14 , further comprising a ram biasing means that biases the ram to a rest position in which the first end of the ram is substantially held within the ram housing. 
     
     
         16 . The tissue sampler of any one of  claim 13 , wherein the tissue sampler comprises a quick release mechanism that is adapted so that the tissue sampler disengages from an item from which a sample has been taken when the trigger reaches an engaged position and the sample has been placed in a storage tube held by the tissue sampler. 
     
     
         17 . The tissue sampler of  claim 16 , wherein the linkage comprises a pivoting arm, a pusher, and a connecting arm that connects the pivoting arm to the pusher, wherein the pivoting arm is pivotably attached to a first end of the connecting arm at a pivot point that is off-centre on the pivoting arm to form an over-centre linkage. 
     
     
         18 . The tissue sampler of  claim 17  further comprising a striker, wherein the linkage is attached to the trigger via a linkage compression spring and wherein the pivoting arm of the linkage is adapted to push against the striker when the trigger reaches an engaged position. 
     
     
         19 . The tissue sampler of  claim 13 , wherein the storage tube is held within the storage tube holder and wherein the storage tube comprises a tube body having a first end and a closed second end and further comprising a cap attached to the first end of the tube body, wherein the cap comprises a seal that extends across the body of the tube to seal the first end of the tube. 
     
     
         20 . The tissue sampler of  claim 19 , wherein the ram is adapted to push the collecting device against the cap of the storage tube to break the seal and to further push the collecting device into the storage tube to close off the first end of the tube after the sample has been deposited within the tube. 
     
     
         21 . The tissue sampler of  claim 20 , wherein a tissue chamber is provided at the closed second end of the storage tube for holding a tissue sample therein. 
     
     
         22 . A collecting device magazine for use with the tissue sampler of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine housing comprises a centrally located bore and a plurality of chambers positioned concentrically around the bore, each chamber having an open first and an open second end and being adapted to hold a collecting device therein. 
     
     
         23 . The magazine of  claim 22 , wherein at least a portion of the chambers of the magazine is substantially transparent. 
     
     
         24 . The magazine of  claim 22 , further comprising chamber locating means to align a chamber of the magazine with a ram receiving aperture and a cutting region aperture of the tissue sampler. 
     
     
         25 . The magazine of  claim 24 , wherein the magazine is at least partially flexible and the chamber locating means comprises a plurality of evenly spaced recesses adapted to mate with a projection provided within the magazine housing when a chamber of the magazine is aligned with the ram receiving aperture and the cutting region aperture. 
     
     
         26 . A method of taking a tissue sample and placing the sample into a storage tube using the tissue sampler of  claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) positioning a collecting device magazine within the magazine housing of the tissue sampler, the collecting device magazine comprising at least one collecting device within a chamber of the magazine;   (b) positioning the magazine within the magazine housing to align the at least one collecting device with the ram receiving aperture and with the cutting region aperture;   (c) positioning a storage tube within the storage tube holder of the tissue sampler;   (d) positioning an item from which a tissue sample is to be taken in the cutting region of the tissue sampler; and   (e) engaging the actuating means to cause the collecting device to push through the item to cut a tissue sample and to push into a first end of the storage tube to position the tissue sample within the storage tube, wherein the collecting device is then held within the first end of the storage tube to close of the storage tube.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) can be carried out in any order. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the item from which a tissue sample is taken is an animal's ear.