slide incorporating a force reducing mechanism is used to compress the springs while establishing the size of the specimen to be collected in the notch a trigger mounted on the cocking slide can be used to release the compressed springs in close succession to first advance the end of the stylet beyond the end of the cannula whereby tissue to be extracted flows into the notch and then the spring driving the cannula is released forcing the cannula forward and severing the piece of tissue contained in the notch from surrounding tissue application_number US 45427003 A description the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings constitutes a new and improved automated tissue biopsy device that permits unique operating features and ease of operation not available in other commercially available automated needle biopsy devices included as features of the invention and described in detail hereinbelow are following insertion of the needle into soft tissue and the firing of the device a stylet containing the tissue sample can be removed from the device without extracting the biopsy needle from the patient the stylet can be replaced in the device and the device can be cocked and refired while it remains in the patient multiple samples of the same or differing length can be collected by multiple cocking and firing sequences without removing the stylet from the cutting cannula a single button slide assembly on the device is used to control all of the functions of the device namely the cocking setting of tissue sample size sequential or closely simultaneous firing of the stylet and cannula and allows the removal of the stylet from the cannula a unique firing.