APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REMOVING AND COLLECTING BIOPSY SPECIMENS FROM BIOPSY DEVICES WITH FIXATION AND PREPARATION FOR HISTOPATHOLOGICAL PROCESSING OR OTHER ANALYSIS
An apparatus and method for removing biopsy specimens from spring based spring based multiple biopsy or forceps biopsy devices by irrigating or suctioning. The apparatus collects, fixes and prepares specimens for histopathologic processing limiting manual labor, workplace risk and time previously required. After removal from the biopsy device, specimens are fixed in a histopathological processing cassette or on specimen wrapping paper for transportation to the pathology laboratory. In pathology, fixative is drained and specimens inspected for gross description followed by paper wrapping and histopathological processing with minimum handling, exposure to infectious material or toxic fixatives. After removing the biopsy specimens, the biopsy device is washed in the apparatus to eliminate contaminants and removed, ready for another biopsy sequence. A spring based spring based multiple biopsy device using these methods can collect numerous biopsy batches from different sites with segregated processing and analysis of each batch.
