Creighton University

Other

Ethicon, Gmbh

C. R. Bard, Inc.

Charles J Filipi

Jason Addink

Scott D Klopfenstein

Timothy B Hunt

Douglas A Cornet

William C McJames

Aaron B Moncur

Michael L Hadley

Glen Lehman

John Mandara, Jr

Glen A Lehman

A bite blockfor use during transoral medical procedures has a main lumenand a side mountfor receiving a separately inserted airway. The airwaymay be a commercially available nasopharangeal airway which is inserted in mountand extends into the oral cavity so as to effectively function as oral pharangeal airway.

Bite block with airway mount

A surgical system for performing gastrointestinal procedures is disclosed. The system includes an elongated body defining an endoscope lumen. The body is adapted to be inserted into the esophagus with a proximal end extending from a body orifice. A working member includes at least one side disposed suction cavity and a cutting device configured to excise a surface layer from the tissue that is captured in the suction cavity. One or more needles are also provided in the working portion, which can be used to apply suture to the captured tissue and/or to inject fluid into the captured tissue prior to excision. Particular applications may be to treat Barrett's esophagus, to treat GERD, or for performing gastroplasty in the stomach.

Systems and techniques for minimally invasive gastrointestinal procedures

Bite blocks providing an instrument lumenfor use during transoral medical procedures may be made from a material having a Shore D hardness less than 60 for improved patient comfort. An air way lumenmay be provide in side by side arrangement to the instrument lumenfor maintaining the patient's airway. The air waymay have a concave guiding channelfor helping to guide the instruments down the esophagus.

Bite blocks

Among other things, embodiments of devices (and parts thereof) are disclosed that can be used in treating Barrett's esophagus. Embodiments may have a suction cavity or window portion having elongated planar floor and ramped end surfaces with suction holes on one or both end surfaces. Examples include one or more fluid injection needles and parts for controlling fluid injection rate based on the rate of needle withdrawal. Embodiments can include one or more injection needles and receiving holes, with the ability to allow injectate to flow into tissue before withdrawing the needle(s), and/or lockout mechanism to prevent resection of tissue by a cutting mechanism prior to injection of fluid. Methods for treatment are also disclosed, and can include inserting a needle completely through tissue, and injecting fluid into tissue while withdrawing the needle back through the tissue, and/or injecting fluid into tissue while moving the needle forward through tissue.

Tissue resection device and method

A surgical system for performing gastroplasty is disclosed. The system includes an elongated body adapted to be inserted into the esophagus with a proximal end extending from a body orifice. A working member includes a pair of elongated suction cavities that capture and excise portions of the anterior and posterior stomach walls and apply sutures to the captured tissue, which, when drawn tight, serve to create a modified lumen in the stomach.

The present invention provides methods and devices for promoting tissue adhesion, which utilizes the healing process and scar tissue formation to bond two tissue surfaces together. A tissue injury is accomplished by destroying the mucosal layer of tissue. After the injury is initiated, the tissue is preferably held in close contact by a tissue apposition means such as a suture, staple or clip device placed adjacent to the treatment site. The tissue injury may be initiated by electrical/radiofrequency energy or chemical or mechanical means integrated with the tissue apposition device or delivered by a separate instrument such as an electrocautery catheter through an endoscope. As scar tissue created by the injury forms, the tissue surfaces become bonded together in a permanent union.

Method of promoting tissue adhesion

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for percutaneously providing a stabilized platform for performing endoscopic surgery. The disclosed instrumentation includes an endoscope, a fixation catheter, a loop suture, and a rigid mount. A loop end of the loop suture is inserted into the gastrointestinal lumen through the fixation catheter and encompasses the endoscope positioned within the gastrointestinal lumen. The thread end of the loop suture remains external of the patient and is tautly connected to the rigid mount to provide the desired stability to the endoscope for the performance of an endo-surgical operation. Distal to the stabilizing assembly, the endoscope has articulated joints for positioning the distal end of the endoscope in close proximity to the surgical site, and includes manipulator arms which extend beyond the distal face of the endoscope to facilitate access to the surgical site.

Stabilizing instrumentation for the performing of endoscopic surgical

An endoscopic suture punch for use in endosurgical procedures, especially an anti-reflux procedure. This suture punch has an elongate frame and a handle mounted to one end of the frame. A pair of opposed jaws having tissue punches is mounted to the other end of the frame. One jaw is rigidly mounted to the frame while the other jaw is movably mounted to the frame, although both jaws can be movably mounted. An actuation handle is mounted to the frame for actuating the jaws. The suture punch has a suture pathway through the frame, the punches and the jaws for receiving the suture. There is a suture drive mechanism mounted to the frame for moving the suture through the suture pathway. The endoscopic suture punch is used with an invaginator for performing an anti-reflux procedure. The endoscopic suture punch may typically be used for suturing and other endoscopic procedures.

Endoscopic suture punch

Disclosed is an expandable anvil surgical stapler which can be collapsed and inserted through a small hole in a patient's body and also through a small hole formed in the side of a hollow organ. The stapler is equipped with an anvil which can be expanded outwardly after placement inside the patient's body. Staples are then driven through the tissue layers to securely fasten the wall of the organ to the abdominal wall or other external tissue layer of the patient's body. This rigid attachment of the organ to the abdominal wall allows subsequent surgical procedures to be performed without large incisions and without constant surgical assistance to maintain proper access to the interior of the organ.

Growing community of inventors

Omaha, NE, United States of America

Charles J Filipi