Patent ID: 7445624

Claim:
An endoscopic sample taker for collecting a sample of cartilage material, comprising: a hollow shank having a distal end and a proximal end; a scoop fixedly connected to said distal end of said hollow shank and defining a spoon-shaped trough having an opening and a closed end; a handling means connected at said proximal end of said hollow shaft and having an actuation mechanism; an actuating rod having a distal end and a proximal end axially movable in said hollow shank, said proximal end of said actuating rod releasably connectable with said actuation mechanism; and a covering comprising a tongue having a longitudinal length with a first end fastened proximate said distal end of said actuating rod and a second distal end, said tongue being slidably adjustable so that said tongue slides along a longitudinal length of said tongue in response to axial adjustment of said actuating rod to an adjusted position between a closure position and an open position, wherein said open position of said tongue allows ingress of the cartilage material to said trough and said closure position covers said trough to prevent loss of the cartilage material from said trough, said adjusted position being maintained without external force on said actuating rod.