Patent ID: 8406858

Claim:
An optical biopsy needle device comprising: an elongate biopsy needle having a distal end with a distal tip, said distal end having a tissue collecting cavity proximal to the distal tip and configured to biopsy tissue adjacent the cavity; and a fiber optic bundle comprising at least one transmitter fiber having a first end extending from the distal tip and having a second end configured to connect to a spectral analysis device, said transmitter fiber configured for transmitting radiation from the spectral analysis device to the distal tip of the biopsy needle, and at least one receiver fiber having a first end extending to the distal tip and having a second end configured to connect to the spectral analysis device, said receiver fiber configured for transmitting radiation from the distal tip of the biopsy needle to the spectral analysis device, wherein the fiber optic bundle extends within the biopsy needle and wherein the first ends of both the transmitter fiber and the receiver fiber terminate at the distal end at the distal tip of the biopsy needle such that the transmitting fiber transmits radiation from the spectral analysis device to the tissue adjacent the distal tip and such that the receiver fiber transmits radiation from the tissue adjacent the distal tip to the spectral analysis device; wherein at least one of: the tissue collecting cavity is at the distal tip of the biopsy needle and the distal tip of the biopsy needle forms a flat surface; and each of the first ends of the at least one transmitting fiber and at least one receiving fiber is flush with and exposed within the distal tip.