Patent ID: 7306613

Claim:
A tissue-piercing device for use with an endoscope for suturing or ligating tissues in body cavities, said tissue-piercing device comprising: two piercing members; an operation section to which a proximal end of each of the piercing members is connected; and a switch portion for switching between: (i) an operation mode in which a piercing action by said two piercing members is performed in a single operation, and (ii) an operation mode in which piercing actions by said two piercing members are performed in respective separate operations; wherein each of the piercing members comprises: a flexible outer sheath; a slidable inner sheath which is slidably inserted in the outer sheath to be extendable and retractable with respect to a distal end of the outer sheath; a slidable needle which is inserted in the inner sheath to be extendable and retractable with respect to a distal end portion of the inner sheath; and wherein the switch portion comprises a sheath-coupling member to couple and decouple the two slidable inner sheaths.