Patent ID: 7329227

Claim:
An automatic tissue sampling apparatus, for use with a biopsy needle system of the kind including a first needle having a shaft member and two ends, a first handle disposed at one end of the shaft member, a cutting point disposed at the other end of the shaft member, and a tissue holding region positioned between the cutting point and the first handle, and a second needle having a hollow shaft, a cutting point disposed at one end of the hollow shaft, a second handle with a passageway arranged therethrough for reciprocation of the first needle, the automatic tissue sampling apparatus comprising: a housing; first and second handle holders, operably disposed in the housing, for receiving and holding the first and second handles, respectively, of the first and second needles, toward moving same; a propulsion mechanism, operably disposed in the housing, for moving the first and second handle holders within the housing, so as to move the respective needle handles to expose and subsequently cover, the tissue holding region, when the biopsy needle system has been positioned at a desired location within a tissue to be sampled, the propulsion mechanism being operably biased so as to tend to move the handle holders so as to expose and subsequently cover the tissue holding region, unless the handle holders are restrained; a cocking mechanism, for placing the first and second handle holders, and, in turn, the first and second needles of the biopsy needle system respectively, into suitable respective positions within the housing for subsequent movement by the propulsion mechanism, the cocking mechanism including a single cocking lever, successive actuations of which move the first and second handle holders, successively, into said suitable respective positions within the housing for subsequent respective movement by the propulsion mechanism; a retaining mechanism, for holding the handle holders, and, in turn, the first and second needles of the biopsy needle system in the suitable respective positions within the housing, prior to actuation of the apparatus; a release mechanism, for actuating the retaining mechanism, so as to release the handle holders and enable the propulsion mechanism to move the first and second needles, so as to expose, and subsequently cover the tissue holding region, a firing mechanism, operably connected to the release mechanism, for causing the actuation of the propulsion mechanism; and a safety lock mechanism, incapable of automatic deployment by movement of either the cocking or firing mechanisms, said safety lock mechanism being operably interconnected between the firing mechanism and the cocking mechanism, said safety lock mechanism being operably configured for movement by direct manual manipulation between a first position, wherein the firing mechanism can only be actuated when the cocking mechanism is substantially immobilized and a second position wherein the cocking mechanism can only be actuated when the firing mechanism is substantially immobilized.