Methods and devices for cutting and collecting soft tissue
A device for removing breast tissue may include a shaft and a cutting element mounted to the shaft. The cutting element may be movable between a bowed position and a straightened position. The cutting element may bow outward away from the shaft when in the bowed position. The cutting element may have an elongate cutting side which cuts tissue when the shaft is rotated. The cutting element may have a length that is at least 25 times larger than a width of the cutting element.
1 . A device for removing breast tissue, comprising:
a shaft;
a cutting element mounted to the shaft, the cutting element being movable between a bowed position and a straightened position, the cutting element bowing outward away from the shaft when in the bowed position, the cutting element having an elongate cutting side which cuts tissue when the shaft is rotated, the cutting element having a length which is at least 25 times larger than a width of the cutting element.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutting element has an exposed surface area for transmitting energy to the tissue being cut, the exposed surface area including a radially inner part and a radially outer part, the radially outer part being larger than the radially inner part.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
only one cutting element is mounted to the shaft.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutting element has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.
5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tissue collection element coupled to at least one of the cutting element and the shaft, the tissue collection element collecting tissue which is severed by the cutting element.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the length of the cutting element is at least 40 times larger than the width of the cutting element.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the length of the cutting element is at least 100 times larger than the width of the cutting element.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein;
the cutting element has an effective width that is less than the width of the cutting element, the effective width being a width which is exposed for contact with the tissue being cut to transmit cutting energy to the tissue.