Surgical instrument for applying beads to tissue

摘要

A surgical instrument for the placement of a plurality of beads within wall tissue to create, or augment a sphincter within a lumen is disclosed. The surgical instrument has a hollow elongated flexible sheath having the plurality of beads stored within a passageway within the sheath. A tip is located at a distal end of the sheath. The tip is adapted for penetrating tissue and for expelling at least one of the plurality of beads therefrom. A feeding member extends into the sheath passageway of the sheath and is operably coupled to the plurality of beads. Moving the feeding member expels at least one of the plurality of beads from the distal tip. A tissue anchor is located at the tip of the elongated flexible sheath and the tissue anchor is actuatable to engage with the tissue wall. The tissue anchor restrains the tip relative to a selected surgical site for the placement of at least one of the plurality of beads therein. The tissue anchor is de-actuatable to disengage the tissue anchor from the tissue wall.