Patent ID: 6994712

Claim:
An apparatus for marking a biopsy site, comprising: a biopsy needle having a lumen and a side port; a marker having a trailing end and a leading end; a straight configuration attachment means for engaging tissue having a trailing end embedded within said leading end of said marker and said straight configuration attachment means having a leading end disposed in leading relation to said leading end of said marker; a delivery catheter having a lumen and an anvil means fixedly secured within said lumen at a leading end of said delivery catheter; said anvil having a cavity with a concave bottom formed therein that causes bending of said straight configuration attachment means into a hook shape when said straight configuration attachment means is driven into said cavity; a side port formed in said delivery catheter, said anvil being disposed in leading relation to said side port; said delivery catheter disposed in said lumen of said biopsy needle and said side port of said delivery catheter being aligned with said side port of said biopsy needle; means for introducing a vacuum into said lumen of said delivery catheter, where said vacuum pulls tissue into said lumen of said delivery catheter when said means for introducing a vacuum is activated; said vacuum pulls tissue into said lumen by impaling said leading end of said straight configuration attachment means when said marker is displaced from a trailing end of said delivery catheter to a leading end of said delivery catheter; said leading end of said straight configuration attachment means encountering said concave bottom of said cavity and being bent into a hook after impaling said tissue disposed in said lumen of said delivery catheter; said marker and said straight configuration attachment means exiting said lumen of said delivery catheter through said aligned side ports when said vacuum is de-activated; whereby said marker and said straight configuration attachment means are secured to said tissue by said hook when said delivery catheter and biopsy needle are removed.