A cryogenic biopsy device is configured to provide thin, frozen tissue samples, which may be viewed under a microscope and selected for biomarker analysis. The device is configured to provide slices which are less than 50 micrometers in thickness, while snap-freezing the tissue and maintaining the sample in a deep-frozen state until it reaches the pathology lab for further processing. Alternatively, thicker slices can be harvested by the device and additional sectioning can be done in the pathology lab by using cryomicrotome. The device of the present invention may be used in rigid instruments and in flexible devices, such as endoscopes, for example, and may be suitable for single use or multiple use.
