DR. JUAN CAMILO PINEDA, MD
Osteopathic Medicine at Portland St, Columbia, MO

2003022, Nov 27, 2003

May 21, 2002

10/153755

Juan Pineda - Columbia MO, US
Timothy Henzel - Columbia MO, US
Joseph Greaves - Columbia MO, US

A61B017/24

606/113000

A method of delivering a device with an endoscope comprises the steps of: providing an endoscope having a sheath with a hollow passage, a wire assembly slidably positioned within the hollow passage, an actuating member operably connected to a proximal end of the wire assembly, and a flexible loop connected to a distal end of the wire assembly; positioning the flexible loop around at least a portion of the device to be delivered; drawing a retractable portion of the loop into the sheath with a first tensile force; delivering the device to its destination location; and drawing the retractable portion of the loop further into the sheath with a second tensile force. Once the flexible loop has been positioned around at least a portion of the device to be delivered, the retractable portion of the loop is drawn into the sheath with the first tensile force, which is sufficient to tighten the loop around the device so that the device can be effectively delivered to a destination location with the endoscope. However, the first tensile force is insufficient to break the flexible loop. Once the device has been delivered to its destination location, the retractable portion of the loop is drawn further into the sheath with a second tensile force, which is greater than the first tensile force. The second tensile force is sufficient to break the flexible loop, thereby freeing the delivered device from the endoscope at its destination location, e.g., within a patient's small intestine (duodenum).