METHODS AND DEVICES FOR REMOVING OMENTAL TISSUE

• US 20120277742A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael D. Laufer
• Original Assignee: Michael D. Laufer
• Inventors: LAUFER, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,211,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32056 Surgical snare instruments for removing or smashing calculi A61B2017/2212; tonsillotomes A61B17/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320044 Blunt dissectors blunt suture needles A61B2017/06085
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/141 Snare

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of treating obesity, insulin resistance and co-morbidities of these conditions by removing tissue from the abdomen. More specifically, it relates to a method of removing abdominal fat and omentum to which the fat is attached, in order to improve health. The invention includes a device for safely removing this tissue material

Claims

1. A method of removing a portion of omentum tissue from a human body, the method comprising:

securing the omentum tissue to a shaft;

rotating the shaft to affix a portion of omentum tissue about the shaft;

separating the omentum tissue from the human body while the portion of omentum tissue is affixed to the shaft; and

removing the portion of omentum tissue from the body.

2. The method of claim 1, where securing the omentum tissue to the shaft comprises drawing a vacuum through an opening in the shaft to temporarily secure the omentum tissue about the opening.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an incision in the body and where removing the portion of omentum from the body comprises removing the portion of the omentum through the incision.

4. The method of claim 1, where separating the omentum tissue from the human body comprises applying energy to the portion of omentum tissue to cauterize or coagulate the portion of omentum tissue to reduce bleeding.

5. The method of claim 4, where applying energy to the portion of omentum tissue comprises advancing a loop electrode around the portion of omentum tissue and energizing the loop electrode to separate the omentum tissue.

6. The method of claim 4, where applying energy comprises applying an energy source selected from the group consisting of RF energy, coherent light, incoherent light, resistive heat, compressed gas, cooling fluid.

7. The method of claim 1, where securing the omentum tissue to a shaft occurs as the shaft as the shaft beings rotating.

8. The method of claim 1, where rotating the shaft causes a vacuum source to draw a vacuum through an opening in the shaft to pull the omentum tissue within the opening.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising advancing an access device into a stomach of the body, creating an incision in the stomach and removing the portion of omentum from the body through the incision.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an incision in an abdominal wall and removing the portion of omentum from the incision in the abdominal wall.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a visualizing device into the abdominal cavity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising morselizing the portion of omentum tissue after or during separating the omentum tissue from the body.

13. The method of claim 1, where separating the portion of omentum tissue is performed by a process selected from the group consisting of heating, mechanically cutting and electrically cutting the portion of tissue.

14. The method of claim 1, where rotating the shaft to affix the portion of omentum tissue about the shaft further includes placing the portion of omentum tissue in a state of traction.

15. The method of claim 1, where removing the separated portion of omentum tissue from the body comprises applying a vacuum to the portion of omentum tissue.

16. The method of claim 1, where drawing the portion of omentum tissue comprises advancing a retrieval device through the incision, where the retrieval device comprises a distal end, securing the portion of omentum tissue to the distal end and at least partially drawing the portion of omentum tissue into the distal end.

17. The method of claim 16, further advancing an electrosurgical component over the drawn portion of omentum tissue, where separating the portion of omentum tissue comprises applying energy through the electrosurgical component.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising applying a vacuum through the retrieval device to secure the portion of omentum tissue to the distal end.

19. The method of claim 18, where the retrieval device further includes a valve, and where applying the vacuum through the retrieval device further comprising applying actuating the valve to apply the vacuum.

20. The method of claim 1, where the incision is made in an organ selected from the group consisting of the colon, uterus, small intestine and large intestine.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing abdominal fat, visceral fat, and abnormal tissue through the incision.

22. The method of claim 1, where separating and cauterizing or coagulating occurs simultaneously.

23. An omentum removal device coupleable to a vacuum source, the omentum removal device comprising;

a shaft coupled to a handle, and having at least one vacuum channel terminating at a tissue receiving opening in a distal portion of the shaft, the shaft being rotatable relative to the handle;

a valve coupling the vacuum source to the vacuum channel, where rotation of the shaft causes the valve to open to permit the vacuum source to pull a vacuum through the both vacuum channel and the tissue receiving opening, where rotation of the shaft and drawing of the vacuum causes tissue to be drawn into the tissue receiving opening and wrapped about the shaft; and

a tissue cutting member being configured to slidably advance over the shaft tissue wrapped thereon and configured to separate the wrapped tissue from a body of the patient.

24. The device of claim 23, where the tissue cutting member comprises a snare comprising a wire-type member forming a loop shape, and further comprising an actuator member coupled to the handle, where the actuator member is capable of reducing a size of the loop shape.

25. The device of claim 23, further comprising a trigger member having a pinion member and where a rack member is coupled to a helical groove in the shaft such that movement of the rack member causes rotation of the shaft, where actuator of the trigger member causes rotation of the shaft.