ENDOSCOPIC STAPLING DEVICES AND METHODS
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are endoscopic staplers used to apply one or more fasteners to body tissue. In one embodiment, a fastener-applying device, which is preferably a stapler, is passed transorally into the stomach and used to plicate stomach tissue by engaging tissue from inside of the stomach and drawing it inwardly. In the disclosed embodiments, the tissue is drawn inwardly into a vacuum chamber, causing sections of serosal tissue on the exterior of the stomach to be positioned facing one another. The disclosed staplers allow the opposed sections of tissue to be moved into contact with one another, and preferably deliver staples for maintaining contact between the tissue sections at least until serosal bonds form between them. Each of these steps may be performed wholly from the inside of the stomach and thus can eliminate the need for any surgical or laparoscopic intervention. After one or more plications are formed, medical devices may optionally be coupled to the plication(s) for retention within the stomach.
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Citations
109 Claims
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1-87. -87. (canceled)
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88. A medical instrument for applying a fastener to tissue, comprising:
a head including; a first member carrying at least one fastener; a second member, the first and second members relatively moveable towards one another into a tissue compressing position; and a firing element advanceable to drive the fastener from the first member towards the second member using a driving force, the driving force sufficient to produce separating forces against the first and second members; and a force displacement strut positioned to displace a portion of the separating forces to resist displacement of the first and second members from the tissue compressing position by the driving force. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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101. A method of applying a fastener to a workpiece, the method comprising:
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positioning a workpiece to be fastened between a first member and a second member; moving the first and second members relatively towards one another into a compression position to compress the workpiece between them, the first and second members in the compression position separated by a gap having a width; driving at least one fastener from the first member into the workpiece, wherein driving the fastener into the workpiece generates separating forces against the first and second members; and displacing at least a portion of the separating forces along a displacement strut to thereby maintain the width of the gap. - View Dependent Claims (102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108)
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109-242. -242. (canceled)
Specification