Obesity treatment tools and methods

• US 7,288,101 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Satiety, Inc.
• Inventors: French, Ronald G., Sutton, Douglas S., Gifford, Hanson S. III, Andreas, Bernard H., Deem, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Victor; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US10/342,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 606/139, 606/219, 227/175.1
• US Class Current: 606/153
• 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 to each other to form a junction extending downwardly a distance from the cardiac notch along the lesser curve of the stomach within the interior of the stomach organ 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 includes 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 includes 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 includes 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 includes positioning the at least two areas of the interior adjacent to one another.

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting tissue includes 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 includes 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 includes urging the staple from a first configuration into a second configuration.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein fastening the at least two areas includes 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 includes abrading at least one of the two areas of the interior.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein inducing the healing response includes 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 to each other to form the junction, the junction forming a pouch being in communication with the esophagus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pouch approximates a curvature of the stomach.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pouch flares towards the remaining portion of the stomach.

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

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the staple includes C-shaped staples or U-shaped staples.

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

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

positioning a stapling device having multiple staples therein adjacent to a treatment site within the stomach wherein the stomach comprises a first volume;

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

fastening the at least two areas to each other to form a pouch within the interior of the stomach organ along at least a portion of the lesser curve with the multiple staples at the treatment site, the pouch having a second volume, the second volume being less than the first volume;

the multiple staples fasten the two areas of tissue together to form a junction flaring downwardly a distance from the cardiac notch toward the lesser curve of the stomach.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein positioning the stapling device further comprises advancing the stapling device transorally to the treatment site.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein presenting tissue includes releasably adhering tissue from a first area of the interior adjacent to a second area of the interior.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the tissue from the first area and the second area are releasably adhered via a vacuum.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein presenting tissue includes releasably adhering the tissue from the at least two areas of the interior to the stapling device.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein presenting tissue includes releasably adhering the tissue from the at least two areas of the interior to a vacuum device.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein presenting tissue includes positioning the at least two areas of the interior adjacent to one another.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein presenting tissue includes positioning the at least two areas of the interior in apposition to one another.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein presenting tissue includes mechanically presenting tissue from the at least two areas of the interior.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein fastening the at least two areas includes actuating the stapling device such that the multiple staples are deployed into the at least two areas of the interior.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein actuating the stapling device includes urging the multiple staples from a first configuration into a second configuration.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein fastening the at least two areas includes urging the multiple staples through an interior channel defined in the stapling device.

34. The method of claim 22, further comprising inducing a healing response in at least one of the two areas of the interior after positioning the stapling device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein inducing the healing response includes abrading at least one of the two areas of the interior.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein inducing the healing response includes a method selected from the group consisting of cutting, scoring, heating, freezing, and chemical ablation.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein fastening the at least two areas to each other to form the junction, the junction forming a pouch being in communication with the esophagus.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the pouch approximates a curvature of the stomach.

39. The method of claim 22, wherein fastening the at least two areas includes fastening the tissue with a plurality of additional staples at the treatment site.

40. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiple staples include C-shaped staples or U-shaped staples.

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