Patent ID: 7625346

Claim:
A tissue sampling device, said tissue sampling device comprising: (a) a flexible catheter, said flexible catheter having a proximal end and a distal end; (b) a sampling needle, said sampling needle being slidably disposed at said distal end of said flexible catheter and having a distal tip; (c) a wire, said wire being inserted into said flexible catheter and having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said wire being fixed to said sampling needle; and (d) a handle assembly, said handle assembly comprising a handle and a button slide, said handle being ergonomic and specially constructed to fit into a hand of an operator, said handle being secured to said proximal end of said flexible catheter, said handle including a port, a bore, and a lumen, said port being oriented parallel to, but off-set from, said bore, said port being adapted to receive a syringe, said bore being aligned with and in fluid communication with said proximal end of said flexible catheter, said lumen fluidly interconnecting said port and said bore and being generally perpendicular to each of said port and said bore, said button slide being slidably mounted within said handle between a proximal position within said handle and a distal position within said handle and being fixed to said proximal end of said wire to cause said sampling needle to move relative to said flexible catheter, said button slide including a button accessible through the handle for manipulation by an operator.