Importance

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Abstract

An endoscopic assembly usable with an external first location indicator to assist an operator in positioning a distal end of the assembly at a desired location within a patient and creating a partial vacuum at or collecting a sample from the desired location during an endoscopic procedure, and a method for creating a partial vacuum at or collecting a sample from the desired location within the patient, are shown and described. In one embodiment, the endoscopic assembly has an elongated member and a second position indicator component. The elongated member has a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient and a proximal end portion. A bore extends from the proximal end portion of the elongated member to its distal end. The second position indicator component is sized to slidably engage the bore of the elongated member. The operator can manipulate the second position indicator component to move the position indicator component between first and second positions. In the first position, the second position indicator component is substantially adjacent to the distal end of the elongated member and communicates with the first position indicator component to aid the operator in positioning the distal end of the elongated member at the desired location within the patient. In the second position, the second position indicator component is spaced from the distal end of the elongated member toward the proximal end portion to create a void between the second position indicator component and the distal end of the elongated member. The second position indicator component is conformed to the internal surface of the bore to create a partial vacuum near the distal end of the elongated member at the desired location when the second location indicator is moved from the first position to the second position.

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First Claim