A dermatological or skin biopsy procedure, such as for determining skin cancer and the like, involves certain general procedures, which are often effected by different instruments. A typical biopsy procedure entails the initial marking of the biopsy site with a visible marker. Thereafter, the marked site is injected with a local anesthetic, typically lidocaine. A skin removal device, for the typical removal of a skin sample of between 3-5 mm is used for obtaining the sample for biopsy (most commonly 4 mm). Such skin removal devices are commonly of two types, a skin scraper for removal of a shallow skin sample, and a skin punch, which cores a skin sample of greater depth. Use of the skin punch requires further measures for wound closure such as suturing or cauterizing of the punch wound. Because of the shallower depth of skin removal by the skin scraper, wound closure with a suture may or may not be required, depending on the nature of the biopsy wound.
Separate instruments are often used for each of the aforementioned procedures with complications engendered thereby. Often, the proper following of the procedures requires several people to perform the steps. This further often necessitates the need for coordination as well as proper and exact positioning of the instruments of anesthetic and biopsy removal to provide for minimal time for the procedure with the greatest accuracy in biopsy sample taking and with minimal patient pain and most effective healing measures.
In an example of the above, punch biopsy of the skin is a procedure by which dermatologists obtain tissue for histopathologic evaluation. The procedure as currently done requires several components. The dermatologist who wishes to perform the punch biopsy must incise the skin, and then drop the obtained tissue sample into an open specimen bottle. For effective handling, the dermatologist must generally have an assistant on hand to assist.
This procedure is however, not staff-efficient, since it requiring an assistant to draw anesthetic, to prepare instruments on a tray and to cut the suture. In addition, pitfalls of the current technique include often-happening occurrences wherein:                (1) the biopsy specimen detaches during the punch incision and becomes lodged in the coring blade, requiring ingenuity to remove it;        (2) when the biopsy specimen does not detach with the punch incision, removal with forceps can crush the specimen and create difficulties for the interpreting dermatopathologist for proper diagnosis.        
Furthermore, the typical use of suture closures, obligates the patient to return in a week's time for suture removal, even if the pathologic diagnosis (and hence follow-up visit) may be available sooner. Although placement of an absorbable subcutaneous suture would obviate the need for this return visit, common absorbable sutures are generally impractical in the 4-mm hole created by the most common size of punch biopsy device.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds