Patent ID: 8100822

Claim:
An anoscope instrument for treating a hemorrhoid in a patient without a cutting of tissue, comprising: an at least partially hollow member having a sidewall provided with a window, a proximal opening, and a closed distal end, the proximal opening being larger in area than the distal end to function as a viewing port; a closure member having a longitudinal axis and movably connected to the at least partially hollow member for at least partially covering and uncovering the window, the at least partially hollow member having a first surface along an edge of the window, the closure member having a second surface opposing the first surface; and a tissue effecting structure coupled to at least one of the at least partially hollow member or the closure member, the tissue effecting structure being structured to clamp a rectal tissue provided between the first surface and the second surface without a cutting of the rectal tissue, to occlude a vascular supply to a hemorrhoid without a trauma from the cutting of the rectal tissue; and, a handle portion having a translatable handgrip that translates in position relative to a fixed handgrip, the translatable handgrip being operably connected to the closure member for a user to hand-actuate a translational clamping of the rectal tissue between the first surface and the second surface, the translational clamping due to a force applied by the user to the translatable handgrip, the force being transmitted from the translatable handgrip to the closure member in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the at least partially hollow member; wherein the first and second surfaces are clamping and non-cutting surfaces structured to clamp the rectal tissue above a dentate line in a rectum of a patient to occlude the vascular supply to the hemorrhoid without the cutting of the rectal tissue; the anoscope is configured to be operable in an absence of an endoscope due to the configuration of the viewing port that facilitates a visual inspection of the rectal tissue in the absence of the endoscope; and, the anoscope is configured such that the first and second surfaces (i) clamp the rectal tissue and (ii) release the rectal tissue without the cutting of the rectal tissue to (iii) allow for an ischemic regression of the hemorrhoid within the patient without the cutting of the rectal tissue.