Apparatus and methods for achieving serosa-to-serosa closure of a bodily opening

A system for facilitating closure of a bodily opening, the system comprising:

• a tissue retraction member having contracted and expanded states, wherein the tissue retraction member is dimensioned for advancement through the bodily opening in the contracted state, and further dimensioned for engaging and retracting first and second serosal tissue regions at least partially surrounding the opening in the expanded state;
• a closure member having pre-deployment and deployed states, wherein a first diameter in the pre-deployment state is larger than a second diameter in the deployed state,
• wherein the first diameter of the closure member, in the pre-deployment state, is sized for placement over the tissue retraction member and first and second mucosal tissue regions, and
• wherein the second diameter of the closure member, in the deployed state, is sized to impose a compressive force to hold the first and second serosal tissue regions in a sealing relationship to facilitate sealing of the opening;
• an end cap adapted to be coupled to an endoscope, the end cap comprising a lumen disposed therein, wherein the lumen of the end cap is dimensioned to receive the tissue retraction member and portions of the first and second serosal tissue regions;
• and
• an actuation lever extending at least partially into the lumen of the end cap and coupled to the closure member for automatically deploying the closure member upon retraction of the tissue retraction member against the actuation lever.