Patent ID: 8105243

Claim:
A method of removing tissue, comprising the steps of: providing a tissue removal device having a tubular element, a transport element, a tissue handling element, and a cutting element, the tubular element having an open end at a distal end, the transport element and the cutting element being positioned at least partially within the tubular element and being movable within the tubular element, the tissue removal device also having a tissue chamber; introducing the device into a patient; advancing the tubular element in a distal direction so that tissue enters the tubular element through the open end, the tubular element being advanced so that tissue also enters the transport element; cutting the tissue which has entered the open end by moving the cutting element from a stored position to a cutting position, the cutting element separating the tissue which has entered the open end from the surrounding tissue to form a first tissue mass; transporting the first tissue mass proximally with the transport element toward the tissue chamber; transferring the tissue from the tissue transport element to the tissue handling element; making the first tissue mass visible to a user when the first tissue mass is held by the tissue handling element; and delivering the first tissue mass to the tissue chamber from the tissue handling element after making the first tissue mass visible to the user, wherein the tissue chamber contains the first tissue mass and previously collected tissue masses upon delivery of the first mass to the tissue chamber.