Intra-gastric fastening devices

• US 6,994,715 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Satiety, Inc.
• Inventors: Sutton, Douglas S., Gerbi, Craig, Weller, Gary, Gannoe, Jamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anhtuan T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EREZO, DARWIN P
• Application Number:
  US10/394,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 606/142, 606/153
• US Class Current: 606/153
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• 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 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0441 the shaft being a rigid coil or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06171 helically or spirally coiled for needles A61B2017/06076
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0649 Coils or spirals
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/003 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices

Abstract

Intra-gastric fastening devices are disclosed herein. Expandable devices that are inserted into the stomach of the patient are maintained within by anchoring or otherwise fixing the expandable devices to the stomach walls. Such expandable devices, like inflatable balloons, have tethering regions for attachment to the one or more fasteners which can be configured to extend at least partially through one or several folds of the patient'"'"'s stomach wall. The fasteners are thus affixed to the stomach walls by deploying the fasteners and manipulating the tissue walls entirely from the inside of the organ. Such fasteners can be formed in a variety of configurations, e.g., helical, elongate, ring, clamp, and they can be configured to be non-piercing. Alternatively, sutures can be used to wrap around or through a tissue fold for tethering the expandable devices. Non-piercing biased clamps can also be used to tether the device within the stomach.

Claims

1. A method of anchoring an object to a region of tissue within a hollow body organ, comprising:

grasping the region of tissue from an interior surface of the hollow body organ;

configuring the region of tissue to create at least two tissue folds; and

securing a fastener to the tissue folds such that the object fixedly depends from the fastener and is affixed to the tissue folds within the hollow body organ.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising advancing an endoscope transorally to the region of tissue.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the hollow body organ comprises a stomach.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein grasping the region of tissue comprises holding the tissue with a vacuum force.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein grasping the region of tissue comprises holding the tissue mechanically.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the anchor is helically-shaped.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the anchor comprises at least one rounded end to facilitate placement within the tissue.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the anchor is biased to form a curved member within the tissue.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the anchor comprises at least one protrusion adapted to extend within the tissue.