Patent attributes
A biopsy device includes a cutting cannula and an inner member. The inner member has a rotatable toothed rack, a sharpened distal tip, and a sample notch. The inner member is configured to be received in the cutting cannula. The rotatable toothed rack has a proximal portion and a rotation zone in the proximal portion. The rotation zone of the rotatable toothed rack has circumferential toothing configured as a series of longitudinally spaced cut-outs that run around an entire circumference of the rotatable toothed rack to facilitate both a longitudinal movement and a rotational movement of the rotatable toothed rack and inner member. A drive is configured to engage the circumferential toothing to move the rotatable toothed rack within the cutting cannula in at least one of the longitudinal movement and the rotational movement.