A biopsy device comprising: a cannula comprising an elongate cannula body extending between a cannula distal end and a cannula proximal end to define a lumen, wherein the cannula comprises a cutting portion at the cannula distal end; a stylet comprising an elongate body having a stylet distal end and a stylet proximal end, the stylet being slidably disposed within the lumen, wherein the stylet comprises a tissue sampling portion. The tissue sampling portion is formed by a notch in the body of the stylet at or near the stylet distal end. The biopsy device further comprises an actuator assembly, the actuator assembly arranged to move the cannula relative to the stylet between a retracted position in which at least part of the tissue sampling portion is exposed and an extended position in which the cannula at least partly surrounds the tissue sampling portion. The actuator assembly comprises a cannula actuator moveable between a primed configuration and an actuated configuration to move the cannula between the retracted position and the extended position. The biopsy device further comprises a selective coupling mechanism arranged to provide a selective coupling between the actuator assembly and one or both of the stylet and the cannula.

A container comprising: a first panel; a second panel opposing the first panel; a first side; a second side opposing the first side; a third side; a fourth side opposing the third side; wherein each of the sides joins the first panel and the second panel; a chamber defined by the four sides, the first panel, and the second panel, wherein the chamber is configured to receive a biological specimen; a port defined in the first side; a plug inserted into the port; an opening defined in the second side; and a closure element coupled to the opening, wherein the chamber is leak proof.

A device for securing an ablation tool may have a backbone and a securing portion including a body and a cover, the body slides along the backbone to a lower position and then the cover affixedly receives a head member of the ablation tool. In another version, a leg portion is removably attachable to the securing portion and an upper portion projects out of the opening in the body portion from above and removably attaches to the leg portion that fits into the opening from below. In another version, a rotatable securing portion has a first portion pivotably connected to the leg portion, a second portion affixedly receive the head member when the securing portion rotates closed and a third portion affixedly attaches to the leg portion when the securing portion rotates closed. If the head member does not fit with the cover, a one-piece or two-piece adaptor is used.

Disclosed herein is a medical device. The medical device includes an outer tubular member and an inner tubular member. The outer tubular member has a distal end, an open window disposed at the distal end, and one or more dimples. The inner tubular member has a distal tip and one or more axial grooves. The inner tubular member is configured to be received within the outer tubular member. The one or more axial grooves and the one or more dimples are configured to align the distal tip of the inner tubular member with the open window of the outer tubular member. The open window of the outer tubular member and the distal tip of the inner tubular member are configured to cut tissue.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for sampling a targeted region of tissue in a body using a flexible needle including a plurality of interrupted cuts and an uninterrupted cut extending continuously from the uninterrupted cuts to reduce localized strain on the flexible needle. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a flexible needle, where the flexible needle includes: a proximal end; a distal end including a needle tip; and a shaft extending between the proximal end and the distal end and including a flexible portion, where the flexible portion includes; an interrupted cut section including a plurality of interrupted cuts in the shaft following a first helical pattern; and an uninterrupted cut section including an uninterrupted cut in the shaft following a second helical pattern where the uninterrupted cut extends continuously from an end of a first terminal cut at a first end of the interrupted cut section.

A multimodal system for breast imaging includes an x-ray source, and an x-ray detector configured to detect x-rays from the x-ray source after passing through a breast. The system includes an x-ray detector translation system operatively connected to the x-ray detector so as to be able to translate the x-ray detector from a first displacement from the breast to a second displacement at least one of immediately adjacent to or in contact with the breast. The system includes an x-ray image processor configured to: receive a CT data set from the x-ray detector, the CT data set being detected by the x-ray detector at the first displacement; compute a CT image of the breast; receive a mammography data set from the x-ray detector, the mammography data set being detected by the x-ray detector at the second displacement; and compute a mammography image of the breast.

Disclosed are steerable needles having a shaft that can be controllably buckled, a steering head positioned at a distal end of the shaft, a transmission for controlling the orientation of the steering head, and a base at the end of the shaft, the base optionally comprising a controller for controlling the transmission. Also disclosed are methods of using the disclosed steerable needles.

An exemplary tissue detection and location identification apparatus can include, for example, a first electrically conductive layer at least partially (e.g., circumferentially) surrounding a lumen, an insulating layer at least partially (e.g., circumferentially) surrounding the first electrically conductive layer, and a second electrically conductive layer circumferentially surrounding the insulating layer, where the insulating layer can electrically isolate the first electrically conductive layer from the second electrically conductive layer. A further insulating layer can be included which can at least partially surrounding the second electrically conductive layer. The first electrically conductive layer, the insulating layer, and the second electrically conductive layer can form a structure which has a first side and a second side disposed opposite to the first side with respect to the lumen, where the first side can be longer than the second side thereby forming a sharp pointed end via the first side at a distal-most portion. The exemplary configuration can be used for (a) determination/detection of a tissue type using impendence of the electrically conductive layers, and/or (ii) determination of a location of at least one portion of the insertion device/apparatus. Another exemplary apparatus can include, for example, a base structure comprising a lumen extending along a length thereof, and at least one optically-transmissive layer circumferentially surrounding the base structure and provided at least at a distal end of the base structure. For example, in operation, the optically-transmissive layer can be configured to transmit a particular optical radiation at the distal end thereof toward a target tissue.

A magnetic robot is provided. The magnetic robot comprises: a moving part which could be moved by means of a control of an external magnetic field; and an inspection part which is coupled to a frontal end of the moving part, wherein the inspection part comprises: a body provided with a tissue sampling needle at the frontal end thereof; a cover for covering the body; and a cover-moving part for moving the cover between a first position and a second position, wherein in the case where the cover is positioned in the first position, the tissue sampling needle is housed within the cover, and in the case where the cover is positioned in the second position, the tissue sampling needle is exposed to the outside of the cover.

The invention relates to a device and method for blocking air contributing to pneumothorax during a lung biopsy.