Patent ID: 6971988

Claim:
An apparatus for withdrawing a tissue specimen, comprising: an endoscope including an endoscopic shaft having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween; a first hoop-like support member selectively slideable within the lumen from a first position wherein the first hoop-like support member has a first diameter to at least one second position wherein the first hoop-like support member has a second diameter which is different from the first diameter; a pouch having first and second ends, the first end being an open end attached to the first hoop-like support member, the pouch defining a container therein for retaining the tissue specimen; a second hoop-like support member, the second end of the pouch being an open end attached to the second hoop-like support member; and a remote actuator disposed proximate the proximal end of the endoscopic shaft, the remote actuator being selectively actuateable to close the first end to encapsulate the tissue specimen.