Apparatus and methods for clamping tissue and reflecting the same

A kit for effecting the positioning of a first portion of tissue located within the body of a being via a small percutaneous incision or puncture, said system comprising at least one clip, positioning means for said clip, and an introducer instrument, said introducer instrument being of a small diameter holding said clip therein and insertable through a small percutaneous incision or puncture in the body of said being to deliver said at least one clip therethrough to the situs of said first portion of tissue, said introducer instrument including means operable from outside the body of said being to free said clip therefrom when said clip is within the body of said being, said clip comprising a pair of jaws and biasing means, said jaws having portions defining a mouth therebetween, said jaws being moveable between a first orientation wherein said portions of said jaws are disposed apart and a second orientation wherein said portions of said jaws are disposed closer together, said biasing means being coupled to said jaws and being actuatable from outside the body of said being, whereupon said jaws move from said first orientation to said second orientation so that a portion of said tissue is trapped within said mouth of said clip, said positioning means having a first portion and as second portion, said positioning means being extendable through a small percutaneous incision or puncture in the body of said being so that said first portion is coupled to said clip and said second portion is located outside of the body of said being, said second portion of said positioning means being engagable outside the body of said being to locate and hold said positioning means in a desired position, whereupon said portion of tissue trapped within said mouth of said clip is held at a desired position within the body of said being.

A method for reflecting tissue located within the body of a being by use of a clip means and clip positioning means, the method comprising providing at least one clip means having a pair of jaws and biasing means, said jaws having portions defining a mouth therebetween and being moveable between a first orientation wherein said jaws are disposed apart and a second orientation wherein said jaws are disposed closer together, said biasing means being coupled to said jaws and being actuatable to move said jaws from said first orientation to said second orientation, and providing an instrument having at least one of said clip means therein, inserting said instrument and said clip means through a small first percutaneous incision or puncture in the body of said being to a location adjacent said tissue, expelling said clip means from said instrument to free said clip means therefrom, actuating said biasing means to cause said jaws of said clip means to move to said second orientation so that a portion of said tissue is trapped within said mouth of said clip means, providing clip positioning means, and extending said clip positioning means through a percutaneous incision or puncture in the body of said being so that a first portion of said clip positioning means is coupled to said clip means and a second portion of said clip positioning means is located outside the body of said being, and manipulating said second portion of said clip positioning means from outside of the body of said being to effect the reflection of said tissue.

A method for dynamically clamping a first portion of tissue located within the body of a living being comprises providing a clip having a pair of jaws and biasing means, said jaws having portions defining a mouth therebetween, said jaws being moveable between a first orientation wherein said portions of said jaws are disposed apart and a second orientation wherein said portions of said jaws are disposed closer together, said biasing means being coupled to said jaws and being actuatable, whereupon when said biasing means is actuated said jaws move substantially instantaneously from said first orientation to said second orientation, said clip being of a sufficiently small size to pass through a small percutaneous incision or puncture in the body of said being, and providing an instrument for releasably holding said clip therein, inserting said instrument and said clip through said incision or puncture so that said portions of said jaws are located immediately adjacent said first portion of said tissue, releasing said clip from said instrument, actuating said biasing means from outside the body of said being to cause said jaws to immediately move to said second orientation so that a portion of said tissue is trapped within said mouth, and providing positioning means not part of said instrument through a small percutaneous incision or puncture in the body of said being so that a portion of said positioning means is coupled to said clip and a portion of said positioning means is located outside the body of said being.