Medical instrument having a catheter and method for using a catheter

A medical instrument comprising:

• a) a medical catheter, wherein the medical catheter is a sheath and is adapted for installation over a flexible endoscope insertion tube, and wherein the installed medical catheter includes:
• (1) a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being insertable within a body lumen of a patient having muscular lumen tissue surrounding the body lumen;
• (2) a centerline which defines a longitudinal axis when the installed medical catheter is in an unflexed state;
• (3) a circumferentially-protruding first pod having a first exterior surface with a first proximally-tapering surface portion which includes an energizable first electrode pair of circumferentially-spaced-apart electrodes and which has a shape adapted to advance the first pod within the body lumen upon contraction of muscular lumen tissue contacting an energized first electrode pair;
• and
• (4) a circumferentially-protruding second pod having a second exterior surface with a second proximally-tapering surface portion which includes an energizable second pair of circumferentially-spaced-apart electrodes and which has a shape adapted to advance the second pod within the body lumen upon contraction of muscular lumen tissue contacting an energized second electrode pair, wherein the second pod is proximally longitudinally spaced apart from the first pod;
• and
• b) a controller adapted to energize the first electrode pair for contraction of muscular lumen tissue contacting the first electrode pair and adapted to energize the second electrode pair for contraction of muscular lumen tissue contacting the second electrode pair.

A method for using a medical catheter, wherein the medical catheter includes:

• a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being insertable within a body lumen of a patient having muscular lumen tissue surrounding the body lumen;
• a centerline which defines a longitudinal axis when the medical catheter is in an unflexed state;
• a circumferentially-protruding first pod having a first exterior surface with a first proximally-tapering surface portion which includes an energizable first electrode pair of circumferentially-spaced-apart electrodes and which has a shape adapted to advance the first pod within the body lumen upon contraction of muscular lumen tissue contacting an energized first electrode pair, wherein the first pod includes an inflatable first balloon, and wherein the first exterior surface is an inflated exterior surface of the first balloon;
• and a circumferentially-protruding second pod having a second exterior surface with a second proximally-tapering surface portion which includes an energizable second pair of circumferentially-spaced-apart electrodes and which has a shape adapted to advance the second pod within the body lumen upon contraction of muscular lumen tissue contacting an energized second electrode pair, wherein the second pod is proximally longitudinally spaced apart from the first pod, wherein the second pod includes an inflatable second balloon, and wherein the second exterior surface is an inflated exterior surface of the second balloon, and wherein the method includes:
• a) inserting the distal end within the body lumen;
• b) manually advancing the medical catheter within the body lumen a first distance with the first and second balloons deflated and with the first and second electrode pairs not energized;
• c) inflating the first and second balloons;
• d) energizing the first electrode pair after the first balloon has been inflated;
• and
• e) energizing the second electrode pair after the second balloon has been inflated.