Patent ID: 7481817
Filing Date: 2009-01-27
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An instrument for cutting tissue comprising: a proximal end having a housing; a shaft extending from said housing; a distal end coupled to said shaft; said distal end having a cavity and an opening to said cavity; means for providing suction along said shaft to said distal end; means for distributing said suction at said distal end through one or more openings of a tissue engaging surface in said cavity to enable tissue adjacent said opening of said distal end to be pulled into said cavity against said tissue engaging surface; and means for cutting said tissue engaged by said suction against said tissue engaging surface to provide a single tissue specimen in said cavity, in which said cutting means has a blade extendable over said tissue engaging surface to cut tissue extending through said opening and thereby capture said single tissue specimen engaged against said tissue engaging surface, wherein the tissue to be cut is retained in said cavity of said distal end in response to the suction provided through said one or more openings in the tissue engaging surface both before and after extension of said blade over said tissue engaging surface.