Patent ID: 8006889

Claim:
A full-thickness resection system for endolumenally removing a full-thickness portion of a body organ, comprising: a flexible endoscope; a stapling mechanism which, in an operative position, is located within a lumen of an organ from which a full thickness portion of tissue is to be resected, the endoscope being slidably received through at least a portion of the stapling mechanism, the stapling mechanism including: (a) an anvil; (b) a stapling head coupled to the anvil so that the anvil and the stapling head are moveable with respect to one another along an axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stapling mechanism between a tissue receiving position and a stapling position, wherein a gap formed between the stapling head and the anvil is larger in the tissue receiving position than in the stapling position; and (c) a staple firing mechanism for sequentially firing staples received in the stapling head from the stapling head across the gap against the anvil and through tissue received in the gap; a grasping device for drawing tissue into the gap; a knife operable independently of the staple firing mechanism to cut a portion of tissue received within the gap; and a control unit which, when the stapling head is in the operative position, remains outside the body, the control unit being coupled to the stapling mechanism for controlling operation of the staple firing mechanism, the control unit being coupled to the knife to operate the knife independently of the stapling mechanism.