Abstract: Apparatus for collecting animal or human tissue includes a curette having a passageway therein terminating at the front end of the curette in a tissue-receiving opening formed in a tissue-scraping spoon. The rear end of said curette extends from a housing forming a handle or gripping surface for manipulating the apparatus. The curette passageway communicates with the interior of said housing and to be connected to a source of vacuum for sucking tissue through the tissue-receiving inlet opening of the curette and into the housing. A substantially flat tissue collecting screen is placed at an angle obliquely across the inside of the housing in the path of tissue flow through the housing to form a large tissue collecting area. The screen has a multiplicity of tissue-screening apertures communicating between the curette passageway on one side of the screen and the outlet opening on the other side of the screen.