Patent ID: 7988642

Claim:
A biopsy device, comprising: a cutting element mounted to a handpiece, said cutting element comprising: a stylet assembly having a hollow stylet that includes an open proximal end and a tissue opening at a distal end thereof, wherein the tissue opening is in communication with a lumen extending through the stylet; and an outer cannula assembly including an outer cannula that is slidably mounted over the stylet and having an open distal end with a cutting edge formed thereon; and a vacuum chamber; wherein the stylet extends through the vacuum chamber and further comprises a vacuum opening formed through a side wall of the stylet such that the vacuum opening is positioned between the open proximal end and the tissue opening, the vacuum opening providing communication between the lumen of the stylet and the vacuum chamber; wherein the stylet is configured to selectively advance distally outwardly with respect to the outer cannula to open the tissue opening to targeted tissue such that the distal end of the stylet moves with respect to the distal end of the outer cannula assembly; wherein the outer cannula assembly is actuated so as to at least partially expand the vacuum chamber to generate vacuum and deliver vacuum to the tissue opening through the lumen of the stylet, and wherein when the outer cannula assembly is actuated the outer cannula is also automatically advanced over the tissue opening to sever tissue after the vacuum chamber is at least partially expanded such that tissue is drawn into and maintained in the tissue opening of the stylet while the outer cannula severs tissue to obtain a biopsy core.