Patent ID: 8128592

Claim:
A submucosal dissection system for use in a patient having a mucosal layer of tissue and an underlying connected submucosal layer of tissue, said system comprising: a safe access needle injection instrument having a needle portion having a lumen wherein said needle portion is adapted to pierce a desired region of the mucosal layer of tissue and enter the underlying connected submucosal layer such that delivery of a fluid through said lumen of said needle portion enters the submucosal layer to thereby elevate the desired region of the mucosal layer; a submucosal tunneling instrument for tunneling between the connected mucosal and submucosal layers, said tunneling instrument being a distinct and separate instrument from said needle injection instrument such that said tunneling instrument can be inserted into the patient separately from said needle injection instrument, said submucosal tunneling instrument comprising an elongate tubular member having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therethrough, said distal end having a first outer diameter, and a first expandable member having proximal and distal ends wherein said proximal end of said first expandable member is attached to said distal end of said tubular member and said distal end of said first expandable member is everted and positioned within said lumen of said tubular member, said first expandable member closing said lumen to prevent fluid communication between the said lumen of said elongate tubular member of said tunneling instrument and the tissue of the patient, wherein upon expansion of said expandable member, said first expandable member expands in a longitudinal direction and a transverse diametric direction, such that said expanded outer diameter of said first expandable member is greater than said first outer diameter of said distal end, and a length of said expanded first expandable member is several times greater than said expanded outer diameter, said first expandable member adapted to be expanded with sufficient force to form an elongate tunnel between two layers of connected tissue; and a submucosal dissection instrument comprising an elongate tubular member having proximal and distal sections and second expandable member disposed at said distal section of said tubular member, said distal section having a distal end, said second expandable member expandable greater in a diametric direction than in a longitudinal direction such that when said second expandable member is inserted into the elongate tunnel formed in the tissue by said tunneling instrument and is operated to expand said second expandable member, said second expandable member expands diametrically and not ahead of said distal end of said distal section and is adapted to dissect the layers of tissue above and below the tunnel.