1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a treatment system for living tissues, which is used to perform endoscopic treatment, such as suturing or ligating an internal living tissue, in combination with an endoscope and other instruments.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device that sutures or ligates an internal tissue under endoscopic observation, that is, a ligation treatment device used for endoscopic treatment, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Appln. Publication Specification No. 2003/0236535A1 (hereinafter referred to as publication). The device disclosed in this publication can suture or ligate the tissue by penetrating a ligature having a fixing member through the tissue. In order to release a sutured or ligated state of the tissue, the ligature is cut or removed from the tissue with a fixing member grasped. If a desired region fails to be sutured or ligated, for example, the ligature is cut to release the sutured or ligated state. For example, a scissor forceps or the like is endoscopically used to cut the ligature. Besides, the fixing member is grasped and removed from the tissue by endoscopically using a grasping forceps or the like.
According to an aspect of this invention, there is provided a medical treatment device includes a suturing-ligating member, a stopper, a fixing member and a suturing-ligation releasing member. The suturing-ligating member has a distal end portion, that carries out one of suturing and ligation of biological tissue by puncturing. The stopper is provided to be movable forward or backward on the suturing-ligating member, and stoppable by friction on the suturing-ligating member to maintain the biological tissue in a sutured or ligated state by the suturing-ligating member. The fixing member is provided on the distal end side of the suturing-ligating member to fix the distal end side of the suturing-ligating member to the biological tissue. The releasing member is provided on the distal end side of the suturing-ligating member to release the ligation state maintained by frictional stopping between the suturing-ligating member and the stopper by moving the suturing-ligating member to the distal end portion side with respect to the stopper.
Advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
A first embodiment will first be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.
A treatment system 10 for living tissues shown in
As shown in
The cylindrical member 24 is provided on the distal end portion of the ligature 22 that is used to ligate the tissue. The cylindrical member 24 bears one end portion that retains a desired position when the tissue is ligated with the ligature 22.
The ligature 22 is passed through the silicone tube 26. The silicone tube 26 is kept in a desired position relative to the ligature 22 by frictional force. It moves on the ligature 22 only when it is subjected to a given or greater force along the ligature 22. Thus, the silicone tube 26 serves as a stopper that keeps the ligature 22 in a desired position relative to the tissue when the tissue is ligated with the ligature 22. The silicone tube 26 bears the other end portion that, along with the cylindrical member 24, retains the desired position when the tissue is ligated with the ligature 22.
The flexible wire 30 is connected to the ligature 22 at a region near the distal end portion of the ligature 22. Although the flexible wire 30 is described as being one in number in connection with this embodiment, a plurality of flexible wires, e.g., two or three, may alternatively be connected to the ligature 22. If too many flexible wires 30 are connected to the ligature 22, they may possibly exert a bad influence, such as twining around the treatment device 12 when it is indwelt in a body cavity. Preferably, therefore, they should be one or two in number. Although the flexible wire 30 is described as being a wire rod in connection with this embodiment, it may alternatively be in the form of a belt.
The flexible wire 30 may be formed of any material that is flexible and strong enough to stand a pull when ligation is released. For example, it may be made of a stretched polyamide-based synthetic fiber, a material for a conventional suture, such as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or polytetrafluoroethylene, or a bioabsorbable material, such as polyglycol acid. This wire may be either a monofilament or a twisted yarn. The flexible wire 30 has a color that, unlike white, red, and yellow, does not resemble the colors of living tissues and is different from that of the ligature 22. Thereupon, an operator can favorably enjoy good visibility when he/she observes the flexible wire 30 through the endoscope.
As shown in
The puncture needle 16 is hollowed so that the cylindrical member 24 and the flexible wire 30 including an expanded portion 31 of the treatment device 12 can be stored in it. The puncture needle 16 has a pusher wire 44 in its bore, in order to push out the cylindrical member 24 and the flexible wire 30 from the distal end portion of the puncture needle 16 when the distal end portion of the puncture needle 16 is in a desired position. The distal end portion of the pusher wire 44 has a pusher 44a that can advance and retreat along the axis of the puncture needle 16. The puncture needle 16 is formed having a slit (not shown) through which the ligature 22 can be put into or taken out of the puncture needle 16.
The following is a description of operation according to the present embodiment. The operation described below is carried out endoscopically even in cases where no endoscope is illustrated. Described here are cases of ligating the target tissue 60 and releasing the ligation. The case of ligating the target tissue 60 will be described first.
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After the tissue 60 is ligated, as shown in
The following is a description of the case of releasing the target tissue 60 from the ligation.
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According to this embodiment, as described above, the following effects can be enjoyed.
In releasing the tissue 60 from the ligation, the flexible wire 30 is grasped with the grasping forceps 48. Therefore, the flexible wire 30 can be grasped more easily through the endoscope 50 than when the cylindrical member 24 is grasped directly. Thus, the tissue 60 can be prevented from being wrongly influenced. Since the expanded portion 31 is provided on the distal end of the flexible wire 30, the flexible wire 30 can be prevented from failing to be seized when it is grasped with the grasping forceps 48.
The ligature 22 can be drawn out from the silicone tube 26, as well as from the tissue 60, without regard to the direction in which the flexible wire 30 is pulled when the flexible wire 30 is grasped with the grasping forceps 48.
As shown in
A second embodiment will now be described with reference to
As shown in
The same functions and effects of the first embodiment can be obtained with use of this treatment device 12a. Besides, the flexible wire 30 has the loop portion 32, so that it can be also held by being hooked by the grasping forceps 48, for example. Thus, the flexible wire 30 can be kept easily graspable. Since the loop portion 32 doubles the flexible wire 30 that is grasped by means of the grasping forceps 48, pull force that is obtained with use of the grasping forceps 48 can be made greater than in the case where the flexible wire 30 is single (see
A third embodiment will now be described with reference to
As shown in
Two ligatures 22 are passed through a silicone tube 26. More specifically, the ligatures 22 include a first ligature 22a and a second ligature 22b. The first and second ligatures 22a and 22b are connected to each other at their respective proximal end portions, and a proximal-end loop portion 28 is formed on the proximal end portions of the ligatures 22a and 22b. A first cylindrical member 24a is provided on the distal end portion of the first ligature 22a. A second cylindrical member 24b is provided on the distal end portion of the second ligature 22b.
Flexible wires 30a and 30b having an expanded portion 31 each are connected to the central portion (ligature junction) and a side end portion, respectively, of the first cylindrical member 24a. Thus, the flexible wires 30a and 30b are connected to the first cylindrical member 24a, not to the ligature 22. Flexible wires 30c and 30d having an expanded portion 31 each are connected to the central portion (ligature junction) and a side end portion, respectively, of the second cylindrical member 24b. Thus, the flexible wires 30c and 30d are connected to the second cylindrical member 24b, not to the ligature 22.
The first and second cylindrical members 24a and 24b and the flexible wires 30a, 30b, 30c and 30c having their respective expanded portions 31 can be stored in the puncture needle 16.
The same functions and effects of the first embodiment can be obtained with use of this treatment device 12b. Besides, the flexible wires 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d extend from positions remoter from the tissue 60 when the tissue 60 is ligated, so that the flexible wires 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d can difficulty stick to the tissue 60, and the flexible wires 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d can be easily grasped with the grasping forceps 48. Since the flexible wires 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d are connected to the first and second cylindrical members 24a and 24b that are exposed on the surface of the tissue 60, the flexible wires 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d can be difficultly buried in the tissue 60.
A fourth embodiment will now be described with reference to
As shown in
The same functions and effects of the third embodiment can be obtained with use of this treatment device 12c. Besides, the flexible wires 30 have the loop portions 32, so that they can be also held by being hooked by the grasping forceps 48, for example. Thus, the flexible wires 30 can be kept easily graspable. Since the loop portions 32 double the flexible wires 30 that are grasped by means of the grasping forceps 48, pull force that is obtained with use of the grasping forceps 48 can be made greater than in the case where the flexible wire 30 is single (see
A fifth embodiment will now be described with reference to
As shown in
A first distal-side pledget 54a is located between a first cylindrical member 24a and a silicone tube 26 and near the first cylindrical member 24a in a manner such that it is penetrated by a first ligature 22a. The first distal-side pledget 54a is formed with a hole in its central portion, through which the first ligature 22a is passed. Likewise, a second distal-side pledget 54b is located between a second cylindrical member 24b and the silicone tube 26 and near the second cylindrical member 24b in a manner such that it is penetrated by a second ligature 22b. The second distal-side pledget 54b is formed with a hole in its central portion, through which the second ligature 22b is passed.
A proximal-side pledget 56 is located between the silicone tube 26 and the first and second distal-side pledgets 54a and 54b and near the silicone tube 26 in a manner such that it is penetrated by the first and second ligatures 22a and 22b. The proximal-side pledget 56 is formed with a hole in its central portion, through which the first and second ligatures 22a and 22b are passed. The first and second distal-side pledgets 54a and 54b and the proximal-side pledget 56 can be stored in a puncture needle 34. Thus, the tissue 60 is held between the proximal-side pledget 56 and the first and second distal-side pledgets 54a and 54b when it is ligated.
A flexible wire 30b is connected to a side end portion of the first cylindrical member 24a. A flexible wire 30d is connected to a side end portion of the second cylindrical member 24b. Flexible wires 30a and 30c (see
The same functions and effects of the third embodiment can be obtained with use of this treatment device 12d. Besides, the first and second distal-side pledgets 54a and 54b increase the area of contact with the tissue 60 when the tissue 60 is ligated, so that the first and second cylindrical members 24a and 24b can be securely prevented from being buried in the tissue 60. Since the proximal-side pledget 56 increases the area of contact with the tissue 60 when the tissue 60 is ligated, the silicone tube 26 can be securely prevented from being buried in the tissue 60.
Since the first and second cylindrical members 24a and 24b are exposed on the tissue 60 without being buried in the tissue 60, the flexible wires 30 are not buried in the tissue 60, so that the flexible wires 30b and 30d can be kept easily graspable by means of the grasping forceps 48.
A sixth embodiment will now be described with reference to
As shown in
Flexible wires 30 are attached to first and second distal-side pledgets 54a and 54b, individually. The flexible wires 30 have their respective loop-shaped loop portions 32, which are passed through holes in the respective end portions of the first and second distal-side pledgets 54a and 54b, individually.
The same functions and effects of the fifth embodiment can be obtained with use of this treatment device 12e. Besides, the flexible wires 30 are connected to the respective end portions of the first and second distal-side pledgets 54a and 54b, so that they can be difficulty subjected to pressure between the tissue 60 and first and second cylindrical members 24a and 24b. Thus, the first and second cylindrical members 24a and 24b can be difficulty buried in the tissue 60, so that the flexible wire 30 can be kept easily graspable.
Since the flexible wires 30 have the loop portions 32, they can be also held by being hooked by the grasping forceps 48, for example, so that the flexible wires 30 can be kept easily graspable. Since the loop portions 32 double the flexible wires 30 that are grasped by means of the grasping forceps 48, pull force that is obtained with use of the grasping forceps 48 can be made greater than in the case where the flexible wire 30 is single (see
A seventh embodiment will now be described with reference to
As shown in
With use of this treatment device 12f, compared with the sixth embodiment, the flexible wires 30 are shaped so that they are not space-consuming when the treatment device 12f is endoscopically indwelt in a human body. Thus, food or the like being deglutition or the endoscope 50 or the grasping forceps 48 being disengaged can be prevented from catching the flexible wires 30.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/572,967, filed May 20, 2004.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60572967 | May 2004 | US |