Abstract: The invention relates to stiletted needles and has for its object to enable the removal of a stilette from the needle once the needle is inserted into a patient, with the elimination of jarring of the needle. This objective is met by a construction comprising a body member, a needle extending from the body member, with a bore of the body member co-axial with the bore of the needle, a stilette, extending from a hand grip for the stilette, there being pin means on the hand grip to engage slot means in the end of the body member, said slot means having at least one side wall forming a cam surface for engagement by the pin means.

Abstract: Biopsy needles comprising an elongate hollow needle having an inwardly tapered front end portion terminating in a cutting edge have been used for taking bone marrow biopsies, but difficulties occur, inter alia, in breaking off the biopsy from the remainder of the marrow and retaining it in the needle. This difficulty is overcome by the needle having a front end portion of smaller internal cross-section than the remainder of the needle, with an internal shoulder or step where the said front portion adjoins the wider internal portion of the needle. The shoulder is adapted to break or cut the biopsy from the remainder of the marrow and retain it within the needle.