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A vibration assisted needle device is disclosed for use in medical procedures such as needle aspiration biopsies. Reciprocation of the needle, such as a biopsy needle, eases the advance of the needle through tissue, penetration of the site of interest and the collection of sample at a site of intere

A vibration assisted needle device is disclosed for use in medical procedures such as needle aspiration biopsies. Reciprocation of the needle, such as a biopsy needle, eases the advance of the needle through tissue, penetration of the site of interest and the collection of sample at a site of interest. The device comprises a housing defining a chamber, a needle support external to the chamber for supporting a needle and a mechanism in the chamber for causing reciprocatory motion of the needle support. The needle support is preferably external to the housing. A syringe support may be connected to the housing for supporting a syringe. The reciprocatory mechanism may comprise means for converting rotational motion into reciprocating motion, such as a bearing or a rotor with a circumferential, angled groove on its surface, coupled to the needle support. The bearing or the rotor may be driven by a rotational motor, preferably located outside of the housing, or by a hydraulically driven turbine within the housing. Alternatively, the reciprocatory mechanism means may comprise a stationary solenoid and a movable solenoid for being coupled to the needle. Preferably, a second stationary solenoid is provided and the moving solenoid is between the two stationary solenoids. Energization of the stationary solenoid or solenoids by an alternating current for example, and energization of the movable solenoid by a direct current, or vice versa, attracts and repulses the movable solenoid, causing reciprocation of the needle. Methods and systems using the vibration assisted needle device are also disclosed.

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We claim: 1. A method of conducting a needle biopsy procedure, comprising: mounting a biopsy needle to a needle support of a device to cause reciprocation of the biopsy needle; reciprocating the biopsy needle along its longitudinal axis by the device by converting rotational motion to reciprocatory

We claim: 1. A method of conducting a needle biopsy procedure, comprising: mounting a biopsy needle to a needle support of a device to cause reciprocation of the biopsy needle; reciprocating the biopsy needle along its longitudinal axis by the device by converting rotational motion to reciprocatory motion of the needle support by coupling the needle support to a circumferential groove on an external surface of a rotatable cylinder of the device, the groove having at least a portion at an oblique angle with respect to an axis of rotation of the cylinder, the needle support being coupled to the groove through a slot in a housing, the slot having a longitudinal axis aligned with the longitudinal axis of the needle and at an oblique angle with respect to at least a portion of the groove, such that rotation of the cylinder causes reciprocation of the needle support along the longitudinal axis of the slot; advancing the reciprocating needle to a site of interest within a subject; collecting tissue at the site of interest; and withdrawing the needle. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising rotating the cylinder hydraulically. 3. The method of claim 1, comprising rotating the cylinder by a rotational motor. 4. A method of conducting a needle biopsy procedure, comprising: reciprocating a biopsy needle along a longitudinal axis of the needle, by electromagnetically generated linear motion; advancing the reciprocating needle to a site of interest within a subject; collecting tissue at the site of interest; and withdrawing the needle. 5. The method of claim 4, comprising reciprocating the needle by coupling the needle to a movable solenoid in a chamber of the device, energizing the solenoid and alternately attracting and repulsing the energized solenoid by a magnet in the chamber. 6. The method of claim 5, comprising alternately attracting and repulsing the movable solenoid by an energized stationary solenoid in the chamber. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising alternately attracting and repulsing the movable solenoid by a second energized stationary solenoid, on an opposite side of the movable solenoid than the first solenoid. 8. The method of claim 5, comprising, alternately, attracting and repulsing the movable solenoid by at least one permanent magnet. 9. A method of conducting a needle biopsy procedure, comprising: automatically reciprocating a biopsy needle along a longitudinal axis of the needle, the needle is being connected to a syringe with a plunger; advancing the reciprocating needle to a site of interest within a subject; withdrawing the plunger to create a negative pressure in a bore of the needle, prior to collecting the tissue at the site of interest; collecting tissue at the site of interest; reciprocating the needle during tissue collection; and withdrawing the needle. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the needle is connected to a pump: the method comprising activating the pump to create a negative pressure in a bore of the needle, prior to collecting the tissue at the site of interest. 11. The method of claim 9, further comprising stopping reciprocation of the needle prior to withdrawing the plunger. 12. A method of conducting a needle biopsy procedure, comprising: hydraulically generating rotary motion; converting the rotary motion to reciprocating motion of a biopsy needle; inserting the biopsy needle into a subject; advancing the reciprocating needle toward a site of interest; inserting the reciprocating needle into the site of interest; and collecting tissue at the site of interest. 13. A method of conducting a needle biopsy procedure with a device comprising a housing comprising at least one wall defining a chamber and a longitudinal slot through a wall of the chamber, a needle support external to the chamber to support a needle external to the chamber, and reciprocating means within the chamber and coupled to the needle support, the method comprising: mounting the biopsy needle to the needle support of the device; reciprocating the needle support along the longitudinal axis of the slot by the reciprocating means to reciprocate the biopsy needle along its longitudinal axis; advancing the reciprocating needle to a site of interest within a subject; collecting tissue at the site of interest; and withdrawing the needle. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reciprocating means comprises a bearing assembly, the method comprising: reciprocating the needle support along the longitudinal axis of the slot by the bearing assembly, to reciprocate the needle. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the reciprocating means comprises a ball bearing assembly, the method comprising: reciprocating the needle support along the longitudinal axis of the slot by the ball bearing assembly, to reciprocate the needle. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the reciprocating means comprises a grooved cylinder, the method comprising: reciprocating the needle support along the longitudinal axis of the slot by the rotation of the grooved cylinder, to reciprocate the needle. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the reciprocating means comprises a first electromagnet coupled to the needle support and at least one second, stationary electromagnet proximate the first electromagnet, the method comprising: reciprocating the needle support along the longitudinal axis of the slot by selectively energizing the second electromagnet to cause reciprocation of the first electromagnet and the needle support. 18. The method of claim 13, further comprising: coupling the needle support to the reciprocating means by a post extending through the slot, the post having a first end coupled to the reciprocating means and a second end coupled to the needle support. 19. The method of claim 13, comprising: advancing the reciprocating needle with a stylet within a bore of the needle; and withdrawing the stylet prior to collecting the tissue. 20. The method of claim 13, comprising reciprocating the needle prior to insertion of the needle into the subject and inserting the reciprocating needle into the subject. 21. The method of claim 13, comprising reciprocating the needle while collecting the tissue. 22. The method of claim 13, further comprising guiding the needle to the site of interest by magnetic resonance imaging.