The analysis of cell samples is a valuable tool in the treatment of disease. If a patient complains of an issue with their body, or portion of tissue appears unusual in appearance, it is common practice to obtain a sample of the cells at that site, and to analyze the sample in a lab. If the tissue is hard, such as that found with a hard tumor, a biopsy coring needle or a rasp or a scraper can be used. If the surgical site is softer tissue such as the mucosal or submucosal tissue found within the gastrointestinal tract, a scraper, rasp or cytology brush can be used.
Cytology brushes are well known in the art, and have been available to the medical community for a very long time. Flexible shafts were added to the cytology brushes to increase access to hard to reach portions of the patient. With the advent of endoscopic surgery, cytology brushes were adapted for endoscopic use. As endoscopes advanced, more and more hard-to-reach areas became available for cytological brush sampling. Today, flexible shaft cytology brushes can be used during endoscopic surgery to access difficult-to-reach portions of the patient's anatomy. Tissue samples can now be taken with a cytology brush from within the difficult-to-access biliary tract, which can be of great help in the early diagnosis of diseases of the gall bladder and pancreas.
Consequently, a significant need exists for an improved cytology brush apparatus that can access difficult-to-reach anatomy, and provide improved cell collection at the surgical site.