An excisional
biopsy device includes a tubular member having a window near a distal tip thereof; a
cutting tool, a distal end of the
cutting tool being attached near the distal tip of the tubular member, at least a
distal portion of the
cutting tool being configured to selectively bow out of the window and to retract within the window; and a
tissue collection device externally attached at least to the tubular member, the
tissue collection device collecting tissue excised by the
cutting tool as the
biopsy device is rotated and the
cutting tool is bowed. An excisional
biopsy method for
soft tissue includes the steps of inserting a generally tubular member into the tissue, the tubular member including a
cutting tool adapted to selectively bow away from the tubular member and an external
tissue collection device near a distal tip of the tubular member; rotating the tubular member; selectively varying a degree of bowing of the cutting tool; collecting tissue severed by the cutting tool in the tissue collection device; and retracting the tubular member from the
soft tissue. The tubular member may include an imaging
transducer and the method may include the step of displaying information received from the
transducer on a
display device and the step of varying the degree of bowing of the cutting tool based upon the displayed information from the imaging
transducer. Alternatively, the imaging transducer may be disposed within a removable transducer core adapted to fit within the tubular member.