Patent ID: 6506165
Filing Date: 2003-01-14
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A device (1) for acquiring tissue or cell samples by aspiration into an evacuated container (3), the device comprising:(a) a front hollow needle portion (7) to be inserted into a body from which a sample is to be taken, (b) a rear hollow needle portion (5) for communicating with the evacuated container (3); and (c) a conduit (11) connecting the front needle portion (7) to the rear needle portion (5), characterized in that the conduit (11) comprises a flexible tube, and a pinch valve mechanism (6) is provided to open and close the conduit and to control the application of negative pressure in the front needle portion, the valve mechanism (6) being manually operable by one hand and comprising a slide member (8) moveable between a rest position in which it pinches the flexible tube in a pressure-tight manner against a fixed element (10) of the valve mechanism (6), and an activated position in which it opens the conduit.