Patent ID: 7662164

Claim:
An apparatus for removing tissue from a living body, said apparatus comprising: a grip portion; an insertion portion which is connected to the grip portion, and which is adapted to be inserted in the body; and an endoscope insertion channel which is arranged in the insertion portion and in which an endoscope is adapted to be inserted; wherein the insertion portion includes a main body and a blood vessel keeping member which extends from the main body and which comprises: (i) a blood vessel keeping bed which is adapted to support a blood vessel, (ii) a closed space, which is closed around a periphery of the space and comprises an open space inside said closed periphery that is open in upward and downward directions, and which is adapted to accommodate the blood vessel while the blood vessel is supported on the blood vessel keeping bed, and (iii) a locking member which is retractable to open a side of the periphery of the closed space and which is extendable to close the side of the periphery of the closed space; wherein the apparatus further comprises a locking mechanism for maintaining a state in which the closed space is formed by the locking member; wherein the locking mechanism comprises: (i) a blood vessel keeping bed lever for moving the blood vessel keeping bed back and forth with respect to the insertion portion main body, (ii) a locking lever for moving the locking member to open or close the side of the periphery of the closed space, and (iii) a locking button for coupling or separating the blood vessel keeping bed lever and the locking lever to or from each other; wherein when the state in which the closed space is formed is maintained by the locking mechanism, the blood vessel keeping member, including the blood vessel keeping bed, the locking member, and the closed space, is movable as a unit back and forth with respect to the insertion portion main body along an axial direction of the insertion portion; and wherein the locking member is movable independently of the blood vessel keeping bed when the state in which the closed space is formed is not maintained by the locking mechanism.