Endoscopic translumenal surgical methods using a sheath

• US 7,963,912 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Zwolinski, Andrew, Cropper, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker; John P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Victoria W
• Application Number:
  US11/382,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 600/114, 600/115, 600119-121, 600/207, 600/208, 600/104, 600123-125, 600/127, 600/186, 604/171, 128/898
• US Class Current: 600/121
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00071 Insertion part of the endoscope body A61B1/0055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0008 characterised by distal tip features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00135 Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00151 using everted tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for shielding an endo scope during insertion through a body lumen, and in particular using a sheath for preventing contact between the endoscope (or trocar sleeve) and the body lumen, thus preventing bacteria from being carried into a body cavity.

Claims

1. A method for introducing an endoscopic device, comprising:

advancing a mid-portion of a sheath through a body lumen and into a stomach cavity, the sheath having proximal and distal ends that remain external to the body lumen while the mid-portion of the sheath is being advanced; and

with the mid-portion of the sheath advanced through the body lumen and into the stomach cavity, advancing an endoscopic device from external to the stomach cavity, with the distal end of the sheath coupled thereto, through the sheath to position a distal end of the endoscopic device within the stomach cavity, the sheath preventing contact between the stomach cavity and the endoscopic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein advancing a mid-portion of the sheath comprises advancing at least one support rod between the proximal and distal ends of the sheath to advance the mid-portion of the sheath into the body lumen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the body lumen comprises an esophagus and the proximal end of the sheath is disposed in an oral cavity at the opening of the esophagus.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting an endoscopic accessory through the endoscopic device, and forming a puncture hole in the stomach to access the patient'"'"'s abdominal cavity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the endoscopic accessory comprises a flexible trocar sleeve having a transparent distal tip shaped to penetrate and guide the flexible trocar sleeve through tissue to thereby insert the endoscopic device through tissue.