Patent ID: 8287463

Claim:
An apparatus for locating a site within a tissue mass, comprising: an introducer cannula; and a localizing wire configured for insertion into the introducer cannula to facilitate insertion of the localizing wire into the tissue mass, the localizing wire including: an anchor adapted to anchor the localizing wire within the tissue mass, the anchor having an alterable configuration formed from a resilient material that is alterable between an anchor configuration and a release configuration, wherein the anchor inherently assumes the anchor configuration when lateral forces applied to the anchor are reduced; a thread coupled to the anchor; and a sheath having a hollow interior for receiving the thread to slidably mount the sheath to the thread to facilitate relative movement between the sheath and the thread between an anchor position and a removal position, the sheath having proximal and distal ends, wherein when the localizing wire is moved to the removal position, the proximal end bears against the anchor to move the anchor to the release configuration, wherein the sheath is a coil spring, and wherein the anchor, the sheath and the thread are configured to be inserted into the tissue mass using the introducer cannula and wherein both the sheath and the thread remain coupled to the anchor and are accessible exteriorly of the tissue mass after the localizing wire is implanted in the tissue mass, and after the introducer cannula used to implant the localizing wire has been removed from the tissue mass, to facilitate a transition of the anchor from the release configuration to the anchor configuration and to facilitate a transition of the anchor from the anchor configuration to the release configuration.