Patent ID: 8172801

Claim:
A kit for use in positioning a guide element in a patient, said kit comprising: a) a guide element, said guide element being chosen from the group consisting of a guidewire, a pushwire, a suture, or a pullwire, said guide element having a looped distal end and a proximal end adapted to extend out of the mouth of the patient; b) an access needle, said access needle comprising a cannula and a stylet, said stylet having a distal end, said stylet being removably receivable in said cannula; and c) a guide element grasping tool, said guide element grasping tool comprising a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said shaft being insertable into the cannula and having means for grasping the looped distal end of the guide element, wherein the kit has a first position in which the stylet is received in the cannula and the stylet and the cannula are inserted into a patient's abdominal wall, and a second position in which the guide element grasping tool is inserted through the cannula and the distal end of the guide element grasping tool grasps the looped distal end of the guide element that is positioned inside a patient's body.