Spacer clip for use with a biopsy apparatus

Claim 1

A spacer clip apparatus, for use with a biopsy needle of the kind including a first inner needle having a shaft member and two ends, a first handle disposed at one end of the shaft member, a cutting point disposed at the other end of the shaft member, and a tissue holding region positioned between the cutting point and the first handle, and a second outer needle having a hollow shaft and two ends, the second outer needle also having a cutting point disposed at one end of the hollow shaft, a second handle with a passageway arranged therethrough for reciprocation of said first inner needle, said second handle disposed at the other end of the hollow shaft, to enable the first inner needle to be inserted into the second outer needle, the shaft member of the first inner needle having a length greater than the overall length of the second outer needle to enable the cutting point of the first inner needle to extend beyond the cutting point of the second outer needle, said first inner and second outer needles being positionable into at least two configurations, a first of said configurations positioning the tissue holding region of said first inner needle outwardly beyond the cutting point of the second outer needle, and a second of said configurations positioning the hollow shaft of the second outer needle immediately about the tissue holding region of said first inner needle so as to surround and enclose same, said spacer clip apparatus being configured to be removably engageable with the first and second handles of the first inner and second outer needles, respectively, to maintain each of said needles in the second of said two configurations in which said hollow shaft of said second outer needle surrounds and encloses said tissue holding region of said first inner needle, to retain tissue being sampled therewithin said tissue holding region, to preclude loss or contamination of said retrieved tissue sample, and/or alternatively configuring said first and second handles of said first and second needles in position for facilitated loading into a tissue sampling machine, said spacer clip apparatus maintaining and alternatively releasing the first handle of the first inner needle and the second handle of the second outer needle in and from a predetermined axially spaced relationship respectively, in a facilitated manner, the spacer clip apparatus comprising: support body means; handle receipt means positioned along said support body means for engaging the first and second handles of said first inner and second outer needles, respectively, to maintain the first and second handles of the first inner and second outer needles in said second of said configurations positioning the hollow shaft of the second outer needle immediately about the tissue holding region of said first inner needle so as to surround and enclose same to retain tissue being sampled therewithin said tissue holding region, through positioning of said first handle of the first inner needle and the second handle of the second outer needle in said predetermined, axially spaced relationship, as dictated by the location of said handle receipt means along the support body means; and handle disengagement means operably connected to said support means and said handle receipt means for substantially simultaneously disengaging, in a facilitated manner said first and second handles of said first inner and second outer needles respectively.