APPARATUS FOR REMOVABLE DISTAL INTERNAL CASSETTE FOR IN SITU FIXATION AND SPECIMEN PROCESSING WITH SERIAL COLLECTION AND STORAGE OF BIOPSY SPECIMENS

摘要

An apparatus for performing a medical procedure comprises an elongated flexible member having an aperture extending longitudinally therethrough and an actuator positioned within the aperture. There is a biopsy means connected to the distal end of the actuator for cutting and collecting biopsy specimens and a removable distal storage and collection chamber connected to the elongated flexible member for receiving biopsy specimens cut and collected by the biopsy means. The removable storage and collection chamber is a means for immediate contact of the collected biopsy specimens with fixatives or reagents. The distal cassette is separable from the flexible member and can be sealed by a cap positionable over the storage and collection cassette for storage, in situ fixation and processing or later processing and analysis of biopsy specimens collected by the biopsy means in the order of collection.