Patent ID: 7833168

Claim:
A system for biopsy of tissue of a mammalian body, the system comprising: an ultrasonic probe having an elongate housing with an exterior surface configured and arranged to be received within a body cavity of the mammalian body, said elongate housing having a central longitudinal axis extending therethrough, and said ultrasonic probe configurable to scan longitudinal scan planes and transverse scan planes that pass through tissue adjacent the body cavity, said longitudinal scan planes through said longitudinal axis and said transverse scan planes orthogonal to said longitudinal axis; a needle guide body concentrically mounted upon said exterior surface of said elongate housing of said ultrasonic probe, said needle guide body being rotatable about said longitudinal axis relative to said elongate housing and moveable along an axis parallel to said longitudinal axis relative to said elongate housing, and said needle guide body defining a needle guide channel that extends parallel to said longitudinal axis, said needle guide channel for guiding position and orientation of a flexible biopsy needle and cannula set passing therethough and exiting therefrom in order to take a biopsy of tissue adjacent the body cavity, wherein the flexible biopsy needle and cannula set includes a flexible biopsy needle surrounded by a flexible cannula; and a data processing system operably coupled to said ultrasonic probe, said data processing system including a display device and software system, said software system cooperating with said ultrasonic probe to display on said display device an image of one of said longitudinal scan planes and said transverse scan planes, wherein said software system is adapted to display said image in conjunction with guided movement of said flexible biopsy needle and cannula set through said guide channel of said needle guide body in order to monitor movement and position of said biopsy needle and cannula set within said body cavity.