The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 12, 1999
Harold M Aznoian, North Andover, MA (US);
Frank V Patterson, Exeter, NH (US);
Peter J Lukin, Lancaster, MA (US);
John E Dimitriou, Stow, MA (US);
Steven L Lantagne, Salem, NH (US);
Edward C Page, Baldwinville, MA (US);
C. R. Bard, Inc., Billerica, MA (US);
Abstract
A endoscopic multiple sample biopsy forceps is disclosed having a jaw assembly with a pair of jaws connected to a pair of arms extending from a jaw housing. Each jaw has two shanks oppositely displaced from the longitudinal axis of the device to define a space in the rear of the jaw for storing collected tissue samples. The tissue storage space defined by the jaw shanks opens rearwardly into a tissue storage area defined within the housing. Each shank has a broad outwardly facing planar surface aligned with an inwardly facing planar surface on one of the pair of arms. A cam slot on each jaw shank is slidably engaged by a cam pin on one of the pair of arms. A puller member coaxially positioned in the housing and axially movable relative to the housing supports a pair of pivots, each of which pivotally engages a bore on at least one jaw shank. The puller member is attached to a drive wire coaxially positioned in a tubular shaft. Axial movement of the drive wire actuates the puller member. In response to axial movement of the puller along the longitudinal axis of the outer tube, the cam pins riding in the cam guide slots change the position relative to the fixed jaw pivot axis of the jaw, thus actuating the jaws. None of the jaw assembly elements movable relative to the device, except the jaws, are externally exposed such that they could contact targeted tissue and negatively affect tissue sampling operations. An ejector is provided to push collected samples from the tissue sample storage area.