Internal organ walls joining instrument for an endoscope

• US 6,423,087 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Sawada, Muneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US09/621,706
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/139, 606/200, 606/213, 606/215, 606/157, 606/8, 606/216, 606/217, 606/232, 606/151, 606/153, 606/156, 623/11
• US Class Current: 606/213
• 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 17/1114 of the digestive tract, e.g. bowels or oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1139 Side-to-side connections, e.g. shunt or X-connections

Abstract

An internal organ walls joining instrument for an endoscope is used for endoscopically joining two internal organ walls spaced apart from each other, and for endoscopically forming a fistula between the two internal organ walls. The instrument has at least a first stationary part, a second stationary part, a first line member, a second line member, and a stopper. Each of the first and the second line members is respectively coupled to the first stationary part, the second stationary part, and the stopper. The two internal organ walls are pinched between the first stationary part and the second stationary. The stopper keeps the two internal organ walls in the pinched state. In this state, the fistula is made by an electro-knife. The instrument remains for a certain time until fistula becomes strong, after which it is endoscopically removed.

Claims

1. An internal organ wall joining instrument comprising:

a first stationary part;

a second stationary part;

a first line member having a free end portion;

a second line member;

a stopper disposed between the free end portion of the first line member and the first stationary part such that the stopper can be moved along the first line member and kept at a certain position on the first line member;

wherein the free end portion of the first line member passes through a through hole, which is formed in substantially the middle of a longitudinal direction of the first stationary part and is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first stationary part,

another end portion of the first line member is fixed to substantially the middle of a longitudinal direction of the second stationary part,

one end portion of the second line member is fixed to an end portion of a longitudinal direction of the second stationary part, and

another end portion of the second line member is coupled to an end portion of a longitudinal direction of the first stationary part.

2. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the first line member has a loop at the free end portion,

the second line member passes through a through hole formed in a longitudinal direction of the first stationary part, and

the second line member has a loop at a free end portion thereof.

3. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the stopper is smaller than an outer diameter of the first line member, the stopper is a tubular elastic material, and the stopper can not pass through the through hole of the first stationary part.

4. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein at least the second stationary part has a fine uneven pattern thereon so as to reinforce ultrasonic reflection.

5. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein all components of this instrument are made of insulating materials.

6. The instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

a guide member;

an actuator arranged inside of the guide member;

a hook for holding the free end portion of the first line member; and

the first stationary part, the second stationary part, the stopper, and the hook disposed inside the guide member.

7. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second stationary parts is a cylindrical member.