A medical device (100) for severing and removing small amounts of internal tissue for biopsy sampling or other purposes is disclosed. Versions of the device may include a hollow probe (101) having a tissue receiving aperture (103) a cutter (132) having a cutting edge that moves past the tissue receiving aperture, and a cutter driving mechanism. Versions of the device also may include a vacuum plunger (122) within the probe, and coordinated actuation of the vacuum plunger and the cutter driving mechanism whereby an effective vacuum is developed and maintained within the probe to draw tissue into the tissue receiving aperture prior to and during a cutting stroke of the cutter. Versions described may be used for removing multiple samples of tissue during a single insertion of the probe proximate to a target tissue mass.
