Patent ID: 8005529

Claim:
A medical system, comprising: a flexible inner core comprising a distal end, the distal end of the inner core comprising an imager configured to generate an image signal and to penetrate body tissue by application of axial force while being rotated; a flexible elongated tubular member configured to slideably receive act the inner core, the tubular member having a distal end configured to allow the inner core to advance outside the elongated member, the inner core configured to rotate radially about a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, wherein the inner core is movable between a first position where the distal end of the inner core is disposed within the tubular member, and a second position where the inner core distal end is disposed distally of the tubular member distal end; an imaging system communicatively coupled with the imager and configured to generate an image of the body tissue from the image signal of the imager.