Patent ID: 6066122
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for marking the location of a lesion or tumor in a breast or soft tissue, comprising the steps of:providing a thin, elongate marking wire having flexibility and resilience;providing an elongate wire carrier and introducing said marking wire into an interior bore of said elongate wire carrier;forming a radius in said elongate wire carrier near a distal end thereof so that advancing said marking wire in a proximal-to-distal direction causes a distal end of said marking wire to be deflected radially outwardly by said radius;providing an elongate hollow needle having a pointed distal end and having an elongate side port formed therein;introducing said wire carrier and marking wire therein into an interior bore of said elongate hollow needle;inserting said hollow needle having said wire carrier and marking wire therein into soft tissue so that the hollow needle impales a lesion;adjusting the depth of said insertion and rotating said hollow needle until said side port is in a predetermined orientation;rotating the wire carrier until the radius formed therein is in rotational alignment with said side port;advancing said marking wire in a proximal-to-distal direction so that said distal end of said marking wire is deflected by said radius so that said distal end extends through said side port and is positioned in said lesion; andwithdrawing the hollow needle and the wire carrier, leaving the marking wire in position so that its distal end serves as a marker for the location of said lesion.