Method and apparatus for straightening and flattening the side wall of a body lumen or body cavity so as to provide three dimensional exposure of a lesion or abnormality within the body lumen or body cavity, and/or for stabilizing an instrument relative to the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649100-B2
Application number	US-51125609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2009
Priority date	Jul 30, 2008
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus for straightening and flattening a side wall of a body lumen or body cavity so as to provide three dimensional exposure of an abnormality within the body lumen, and simultaneously providing for the stabilization of the working end of an endoscope or surgical tool, the apparatus comprising a deployable hoop expander comprising a structure defining a volume and being configured so as to be transitionable between a reduced cross-sectional configuration for easy insertion into a body lumen and an expanded cross-sectional configuration for engaging, straightening and flattening the side wall of the body lumen, whereby to provide three dimensional exposure of the abnormality within the body lumen, the deployable hoop expander being configured for simultaneously providing for the docking of the end of the endoscope or other instrument so as to stabilize the same for endoscopic viewing and/or therapy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for straightening and flattening a side wall of a body lumen or body cavity, so as to provide three dimensional exposure of, and access to, a lesion or abnormality within the body lumen or body cavity during an endoscopic procedure, the apparatus comprising:
an endoscope having a distal end for insertion into the body lumen or body cavity, and a proximal end for disposition outside of the body lumen or body cavity;
a deployable hoop expander comprising a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinally-extending outer perimeter extending therebetween, the longitudinally-extending outer perimeter being delineated by an open lattice structure and defining a volume;
the deployable hoop expander being configured so as to be transitionable between (i) a reduced cross-sectional configuration, and (ii) an expanded cross-sectional configuration, whereby the deployable hoop expander can be configured in its reduced cross-sectional configuration for easy insertion into a body lumen, and it can thereafter be re-configured into its expanded cross-sectional configuration so as to engage, straighten and flatten the side wall of the body lumen, whereby to provide three dimensional exposure of, and access to, the lesion or abnormality through the open lattice structure, the entire deployable hoop expander being configured for disposition within the body lumen or body cavity;
the proximal end of the deployable hoop expander comprising at least one guide for releasably mounting the deployable hoop expander to the distal end of the endoscope such that the distal end of the endoscope is supported and stabilized relative to the body lumen or body cavity when the deployable hoop expander is in its expanded cross-sectional configuration within the body lumen or body cavity;
wherein the open lattice structure is sized so that a working instrument may be passed through the endoscope and access the lesion or abnormality through the open lattice structure; and
wherein the at least one guide is configured so that the deployable hoop expander can be selectively released from the distal end of the endoscope, whereby to dismount the deployable hoop expander from the endoscope so that the deployable hoop expander may be left in the body lumen or body cavity when the endoscope is removed from the body at the conclusion of the endoscopic procedure, with the entire deployable hoop expander being disposed in the body lumen or body cavity.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander comprises a polygonal structure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open lattice structure comprises a plurality of parallel rings connected to one another by at least one strut.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the parallel rings have a circular configuration.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the parallel rings have an ovoid configuration.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the parallel rings have diameters which vary along the length of the deployable hoop expander, such that the deployable hoop expander can form a non-cylindrical and non-ovoid geometry when it is in its expanded cross-sectional configuration.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the deployable hoop expander has a spherical configuration.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein:
(i) when the deployable hoop expander is in its reduced cross-sectional configuration, the planes of the parallel rings are disposed at an acute angle (when seen in side view) to the longitudinal axis of the deployable hoop expander; and
(ii) when the deployable hoop expander is in its expanded cross-sectional configuration, the planes of the parallel rings are disposed perpendicular (when seen in side view) to the longitudinal axis of the deployable hoop expander.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open lattice structure comprises a spiral construction.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the spiral construction comprises a helix.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the spiral construction comprises a helix and at least one strut.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander is resilient and is normally biased into its expanded cross-sectional configuration, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a constraint for maintaining the deployable hoop expander in its reduced cross-sectional configuration.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the constraint comprises a net.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein one end of the net is closed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the constraint comprises a sleeve.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open lattice structure is characterized by a parallelogram configuration when seen in side view, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a control wire for manipulating the deployable hoop expander from its reduced cross-sectional configuration to its expanded cross-sectional configuration.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the open lattice structure comprises a plurality of parallel rings connected to one another by at least one strut.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the at least one strut is connected to the parallel rings by hinges.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the distal end of the deployable hoop expander is closed.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the proximal end of the deployable hoop expander is partially closed.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a grasping tool for collapsing and removing the deployable hoop expander.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander comprises a biocompatible material.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the biocompatible material is a biodegradable/absorbable material.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander comprises a superelastic alloy material.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander comprises a shape memory alloy material.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander comprises a polymeric material.

27. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander is configured to be passed through the biopsy channel of an endoscope.

28. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deployable hoop expander is configured to be passed over the outside of an endoscope.

29. A method for straightening and flattening a side wall of a body lumen or body cavity so as to provide three dimensional exposure of, and access to, a lesion or abnormality on the side wall within the body lumen or body cavity during an endoscopic procedure, the method comprising:
providing apparatus comprising:
an endoscope having a distal end for insertion into the body lumen or body cavity, and a proximal end for disposition outside of the body lumen or body cavity;
a deployable hoop expander comprising a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinally-extending outer perimeter extending therebetween, the longitudinally-extending outer perimeter being delineated by an open lattice structure and defining a volume;
the deployable hoop expander being configured so as t

Assignees

• Milsom Jeffrey
• Riina Howard
• Cornhill John Fredrick
• Andrews Robert
• Dickinson Edward
• Univ Cornell

Inventors

• Milsom Jeffrey
• Riina Howard
• Cornhill John Fredrick
• Andrews Robert
• Dickinson Edward

Classifications

• A61F2/88

  the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils · CPC title

• A61B17/0218 Primary

  for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B1/00087

  Tools (A61B17/00234 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F2/86

  Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure · CPC title

• A61F2/91

  made from perforated sheets or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes · CPC title