Patent ID: 8306602

Claim:
A method of marking a selected intracorporeal tissue site for subsequent location, comprising: (A) providing at least one marker having an ultrasound detectable body and a radiopaque marker element carried by the ultrasound detectable body on an exterior portion thereof; and (B) implanting the at least one marker at a preselected target site, so that the ultrasound detectable body is detectable when subject to ultrasound imaging, wherein implanting the at least one marker includes inserting the at least one marker through a biopsy needle device which has been previously inserted into the tissue site in the course of a biopsy procedure and wherein inserting the at least one marker through a biopsy needle device includes: (a) using a vacuum-assisted large core biopsy device as the biopsy needle device; and (b) the insertion of the marker includes: (i) loading the marker into a marker applicator device having an elongated marker insertion tube for holding the marker, the tube having a distal tip and a piston housed within the tube for expelling the marker from the tip; (ii) inserting the marker insertion tube through the large core biopsy device until the tip is adjacent the tissue site; and (iii) depressing the piston to expel the at least one marker from the tube to implant adjacent the tissue site.