Patent ID: 7153274

Claim:
A biopsy instrument comprising: a piercer comprising a proximal end, a tissue piercing distal end, a distal tissue receiving port, and a cutter lumen; a cutter adapted to rotate and translate within the cutter lumen; a probe assembly comprising: (i) a proximal end, (ii) a distal end, wherein the piercer extends from the distal end of the probe assembly, (iii) a first cutter rotating member operable to rotate the cutter, and (iv) a first cutter translation member operable to translate the cutter, a base, wherein the base comprises: (i) a second cutter rotating member configured to engage with the first cutter rotating member, wherein the second cutter rotating member is operable to cause the first cutter rotating member to rotate the cutter when the second cutter rotating member is engaged with the first cutter rotating member, and (ii) a second cutter translation member configured to engage with the first cutter translation member, wherein the second cutter translation member is operable to cause the first cutter translation member to translate the cutter when the second cutter translation member is engaged with the first cutter translation member, wherein the probe assembly is removably engageable with the base, wherein the second cutter rotating member is configured to engage with the first cutter rotating member upon engagement of the probe assembly with the base, wherein the second cutter translation member is configured to engage with the first cutter translation member upon engagement of the probe assembly with the base; and a mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the distal tissue receiving port when the piercer is disposed in tissue, wherein the mechanism is manually operable at a position spaced proximally from the proximal end of the piercer.