Patent ID: 8641640

Claim:
A method for separating a tissue specimen from an intracorporeal site of a patient, comprising a. providing an elongated probe assembly for a biopsy or other tissue cutting device comprising: i. an elongated outer cannula having a tissue penetrating distal tip, a tissue receiving aperture in a wall of the outer cannula spaced proximally from the tissue penetrating distal tip with an inner tissue cutting edge and an inner lumen in fluid communication with and extending proximally from the tissue receiving aperture; and ii. an inner tissue cutting member which is slidably disposed within the inner lumen of the outer cannula and which comprises: an outwardly flared distal tubular portion that flares outwardly in a distal direction and having a beveled distal tip with a leading outer tissue cutting edge and a trailing edge, an inner tissue receiving aperture and a longitudinal axis, a single longitudinally oriented opening in the outwardly flared distal tubular portion that has an open distal end which opens to the inner tissue receiving aperture and extends from a closed proximal end to the open distal end, the closed proximal end having a relief opening with a transverse dimension larger than a transverse dimension of the single longitudinally oriented opening adjacent the relief opening, the single longitudinally oriented opening diverging from the closed proximal end to intersect the trailing edge of the beveled distal tip of the outwardly flared distal tubular portion and configured to facilitate formation of the outwardly flared distal tubular portion, and at least a second opening in a wall of the outwardly flared distal tubular portion which is circumferentially spaced from the single longitudinally oriented opening about the longitudinal axis and which has closed proximal and distal ends; b. advancing the probe assembly within the patient until the tissue receiving aperture in the wall of the outer cannula is in a desired intracorporeal site within the patient and the tissue penetrating distal tip is distal to the desired intracorporeal site; c. aspirating tissue at the desired intracorporeal site into the outer cannula through the tissue receiving aperture in the wall of the outer cannula; and d. advancing the inner tissue cutting member distally within the outer cannula with the leading outer tissue cutting edge of the inner tissue cutting member engaging the inner tissue cutting edge of the outer cannula so as to sever a tissue specimen from tissue extending through the tissue receiving aperture of the outer cannula while maintaining a vacuum in the outer cannula through the second opening.