Obesity treatment tools and methods

• US 20030109892A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Bernard H. Andreas, Douglas S. Sutton, Hanson S. Gifford III, Mark E. Deem, Ronald G. French
• Inventors: French, Ronald G., Sutton, Douglas S., Gifford, Hanson S. III, Andreas, Bernard H., Deem, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,288,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/151
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1114 of the digestive tract, e.g. bowels or oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/395 with marking agent for marking skin or other tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0083 Reducing the size of the stomach, e.g. gastroplasty surgical interventions A61B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0086 using clamps, folding means or the like

Abstract

Various obesity treatment tools and methods are described herein, as well as treatments for other gastric-related diseases, e.g., GERD. Treatment includes reducing the size of the stomach pouch to limit the caloric intake as well as to provide an earlier feeling of satiety. This may be done by creating a smaller gastric pouch within the stomach directly from the interior of the stomach itself. The smaller pouches may be made through the use of individual anchoring devices, rotating probes, or volume reduction devices. A pyloroplasty procedure may also be performed to render the pyloric sphincter incompetent. A gastric bypass procedure may additionally be performed using atraumatic magnetic anastomoses devices so that sugars and fats are passed directly to the bowel while bypassing the stomach. Many of these procedures may be done in a variety of combinations. Treatment may create enforced behavioral modifications by discouraging the ingestion of high-caloric foods.

Claims

1. A method for stapling tissue from an interior of a stomach organ, comprising:

positioning a stapling device having at least one staple therein adjacent to a treatment site within the stomach;

presenting tissue from at least two areas of the interior of the stomach; and

fastening the at least two areas with the at least one staple at the treatment site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein positioning the stapling device further comprises advancing the stapling device transorally to the treatment site.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting tissue comprises releasably adhering tissue from a first area of the interior adjacent to a second area of the interior.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the tissue from the first area and the second area are releasably adhered via a vacuum.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting tissue comprises releasably adhering the tissue from the at least two areas of the interior to the stapling device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting tissue comprises releasably adhering the tissue from the at least two areas of the interior to a vacuum device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting tissue comprises positioning the at least two areas of the interior adjacent to one another.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting tissue comprises positioning the at least two areas of the interior in apposition to one another.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting tissue comprises mechanically presenting tissue from the at least two areas of the interior.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein fastening the at least two areas further comprises actuating the stapling device such that the at least one staple is deployed into the at least two areas of the interior.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein actuating the stapling device comprises urging the staple from a first configuration into a second configuration.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein fastening the at least two areas further comprises urging the staple through an interior channel defined in the stapling device.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising inducing a healing response in at least one of the two areas of the interior after positioning the stapling device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein inducing the healing response comprises abrading at least one of the two areas of the interior.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein inducing the healing response comprises a method selected from the group consisting of cutting, scoring, heating, freezing, and chemical ablation.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein fastening the at least two areas creates a boundary between a lumen formed by the fastened tissue and a remaining portion of the stomach.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the boundary is straight.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the boundary approximates a curvature of the stomach.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the boundary flares towards the remaining portion of the stomach.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein fastening the at least two areas comprises fastening the tissue with a plurality of additional staples at the treatment site.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the staple comprises C staples or U staples.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising disengaging the stapling device from the interior of the stomach.