Gastric sizing systems including instruments for use in bariatric surgery

A system for sizing a patient's stomach for a bariatric procedure comprising:

• a suction controller configured to be coupled to an external source of suction to produce a controlled level of suction, said suction controller comprising a first chamber, a second chamber, a movable diaphragm and a biasing member, said first and second chambers being located within a housing having a top surface, said second chamber including a bleed hole in said housing in communication with ambient atmosphere outside said housing, said bleed hole terminating at a top end, whereupon said second chamber is at atmospheric pressure, said bleed hole in said housing being located within a slot in said top surface, said top end being at the bottom of said slot, said slot having at least one opening at an end thereof and in communication with said top end to prevent blockage of said bleed hole in said housing, said first chamber being configured to have suction applied thereto, said movable diaphragm separating said first chamber from said second chamber, whereupon a differential pressure exists between said first chamber and said second chamber, said differential pressure imparting a differential pressure force on said movable diaphragm, said biasing member being configured to impart a counter force on said movable diaphragm that opposes said differential pressure force to cause said suction controller to produce said controlled level of suction at an output of said suction controller;
• and
• an elongated sizing tube coupled to said output of said suction controller to receive said controlled level of suction therefrom, said elongated sizing tube having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with a passageway within said elongated sizing tube, said apertures extending in a plurality of different radial directions outward from said longitudinal axis around an exterior periphery of said elongated sizing tube, said elongated sizing tube being configured for introduction into the patient's stomach to extend along a lesser curvature of the patient's stomach with a first section of said exterior periphery facing the lesser curvature of the patient's stomach and with a second section of said exterior periphery directed towards a greater curvature of the patient's stomach, whereupon said controlled level of suction is applied to plural ones of said plurality of apertures in each of said first and second sections to pull the lesser curvature of the patient's stomach into direct engagement with said first section and pull portions of the patient's stomach adjacent to said second section towards said second section to produce a suction-created visually perceptible delineation line on the exterior of the patient's stomach along said second section, thereby enabling a portion of the patient's stomach adjacent the suction-created visually perceptible delineation line to be sealed by a device located outside the patient's stomach to form a sealed residual stomach portion about said sizing tube.

A system for sizing a patient's stomach for a bariatric procedure comprising:

• a suction controller configured to be coupled to an external source of suction to produce a controlled level of suction, said suction controller comprising a first chamber, a second chamber, a movable diaphragm and a biasing member, said first chamber being configured to have suction applied thereto from the source of suction and including a valve seat and a movable sealing member coupled to said movable diaphragm, said valve seat surrounding an opening in fluid communication with the source of suction, said second chamber being at atmospheric pressure with ambient air therein, said movable diaphragm separating said first chamber from said second chamber, whereupon a differential pressure exists between said first chamber and said second chamber, said differential pressure imparting a differential pressure force on said movable diaphragm, said biasing member being configured to impart a counter force on said movable diaphragm that opposes said differential pressure force to cause said suction controller to produce said controlled level of suction at an output of said suction controller, wherein said movable diaphragm includes a bleed hole in fluid communication with said second chamber to enable ambient air from said second chamber to enter into said first chamber to prevent said movable sealing member from becoming stuck in engagement with said valve seat, said suction controller additionally comprising another sealing member configured to close said bleed hole in said movable diaphragm;
• and
• an elongated sizing tube coupled to said output of said suction controller to receive said controlled level of suction therefrom, said elongated sizing tube having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with a passageway within said elongated sizing tube, said apertures extending in a plurality of different radial directions outward from said longitudinal axis around an exterior periphery of said elongated sizing tube, said elongated sizing tube being configured for introduction into the patient's stomach to extend along a lesser curvature of the patient's stomach with a first section of said exterior periphery facing the lesser curvature of the patient's stomach and with a second section of said exterior periphery directed towards a greater curvature of the patient's stomach, plural ones of said plurality of apertures being in each of said first and second sections of said exterior periphery of said sizing tube, whereupon said controlled level of suction is applied to plural ones of said plurality of apertures in each of said first and second sections to pull the lesser curvature of the patient's stomach into direct engagement with said first section and to pull portions of the patient's stomach adjacent to said second section towards said second section to produce a suction-created visually perceptible delineation line on the exterior of the patient's stomach along said second section, thereby enabling a portion of the patient's stomach adjacent the suction-created visually perceptible delineation line to be sealed by a device located outside the patient's stomach to form a sealed residual stomach portion, said system being configured to enable testing for leakage in the sealed residual stomach portion by introducing an indicator fluid into the sealed residual stomach portion, whereupon said another sealing member closes said bleed hole in said movable diaphragm to prevent the ingress of the indicator liquid into said second chamber.