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Abstract

An aspiration needle apparatus for collecting cell samples from tissue comprising a vacuum container having an enclosed evacuated space evacuated to a subambient pressure and sealed by a penetrable diaphragm. An adapter has a recess to receive the vacuum container. A needle is carried by the adapter and has a distal extremity serving as an aspiration needle to collect the cell sample and has a proximal extremity disposed in the recess and is capable of penetrating the diaphragm of the vacuum container to couple the evacuated space to the flow passage of the needle to supply a subambient pressure to the distal extremity of the needle. An on-off mechanism carried by the adapter includes yieldable means and a member mounted in the recess actuatable by axial movement of the vacuum container into the recess against the force of the yieldable means disposed within the recess. The on-off mechanism also includes means secured to the member for sequentially retaining the member in a rearwardmost or at rest position and a forwardmost or latched position whereby in the forwardmost or latched position the needle means penetrates the diaphragm to supply the subambient pressure in the vacuum container to the needle means and in the rearwardmost or at rest position the needle means is free of the diaphragm so that the subambient pressure is no longer supplied to the needle means.

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First Claim