Patent ID: 8317725

Claim:
A method of collecting and washing one or more tissue specimens in a tissue biopsy system having an elongated probe member with an elongated shaft, an elongated tissue cutting member having a longitudinal extent and being slidably disposed within the elongated probe member and which has an inner lumen extending therein, and a housing on a proximal part of the elongated shaft, the method comprising: a. providing the housing with a releasable proximal housing portion having an interior, and a tissue specimen retaining member within the interior which receives a proximal end of the elongated tissue cutting member, the tissue specimen retaining member within the interior being configured to receive the one or more tissue specimens from the proximal end of the elongated tissue cutting member and having a plurality of openings configured to retain the one or more tissue specimens and to pass fluid and debris, the releasable proximal housing portion having a fluid discharge port above the tissue specimen retaining member to direct washing fluid from an upper portion of the releasable proximal housing portion onto the one or more tissue specimens retained by the tissue specimen retaining member and having a vacuum port configured to apply a vacuum within an inner lumen of the elongated tissue cutting member to facilitate proximal movement of a tissue specimen through the inner lumen and to remove fluid or debris from the tissue specimen retaining member and the one or more tissue specimens thereon; b. cutting a tissue specimen from a tissue site within a patient with the elongated tissue cutting member; c. applying a vacuum within the releasable proximal housing portion to the proximal end of the tissue cutting member through the vacuum port in fluid communication with the interior of the releasable proximal housing portion to facilitate drawing the tissue specimen through the inner lumen of the elongated tissue cutting member and out the proximal end thereof onto the tissue specimen retaining member; d. delivering washing fluid through the fluid discharge port in the releasable proximal housing portion onto the one or more tissue specimens on the tissue specimen retaining member within the interior of the releasable proximal housing portion; e. maintaining a vacuum through the vacuum port in the releasable proximal housing portion to remove fluid and any debris through the openings in the tissue specimen retaining member; f. directing removed fluid and any debris through a conduit in fluid communication with the vacuum port out of the releasable proximal housing portion; and g. moving the releasable proximal housing portion along the longitudinal extent of the elongated tissue cutting member to remove the releasable proximal housing portion from the housing and the tissue specimen retaining member with the one or more tissue specimens from the housing of the elongated probe member.