Patent ID: 7424320

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: an imaging element for subcutaneous placement in a tissue mass via a delivery apparatus adapted to penetrate the tissue mass, the imaging element adapted to identify an area of interest in the tissue mass; and a guide element having, when the guide element is intact: (i) a first end coupled to the imaging element, (ii) a second end distal from the imaging element, and (iii) a separable portion that includes at least the second end; wherein the first end of the guide element is adapted to be coupled to the imaging element, and the second end is adapted to extend exteriorly to the tissue mass, after the delivery apparatus has been removed from the tissue mass; wherein the separable portion is removable from the tissue mass after the delivery apparatus has been removed from the tissue mass, and wherein the guide element is adapted to not exteriorly to the tissue mass after the separable portion has been removed from the tissue mass.