Patent ID: 7842046

Claim:
An endoscopic suturing assembly for use with an endoscope, comprising: a suture needle having an elongate flexible shaft and a longitudinal passageway therethrough, said passageway extending substantially along the length of said needle to an opening in a distal end portion of said needle, at least a distal end portion of said needle being made of a shape-memory material tending to form said distal end portion of said needle from a first configuration to a second configuration; a suture thread slidably extending through said passageway and out of said needle through said opening; an elongate tubular member for housing said needle; and a heating collar provided at a distal end of said tubular member, for changing said needle from said first configuration to said second configuration said needle being slidably positioned inside said tubular member for enabling motion of said needle alternately in a distal and a proximal direction.