Patent ID: 7879054

Claim:
A biopsy system comprising: a first placeholder element insertable through tissue to a first selected location in a patient's body, the first placeholder element including a first lumen extending therethrough to a distal opening which, when the first placeholder element is in the first selected location is adjacent to target tissue; a handle including a channel extending therethrough for directing elements inserted thereinto to the first lumen, the handle further including a handle fitting projecting distally from a distally facing surface of the handle configured to be received by a correspondingly shaped placeholder fitting in a proximal end of the first placeholder element and to be removed from the placeholder fitting when the handle fitting and the placeholder fitting are twisted relative to each other so that the first placeholder element may be left in the first selected location; a tissue sampling element insertable to the first selected location via the first lumen for obtaining a sample of tissue from the first selected location, the tissue sampling element being removable from the first lumen while leaving the first placeholder element at the first selected location; and a tissue treatment element insertable to the first selected location via the first lumen.