Patent ID: 8142448

Claim:
A tissue puncturing system used to suture tissues in a body cavity comprising: an endoscope; a flexible sheath having a distal portion provided with at least a side opening, and a lumen through which the endoscope may pass; at least one puncturing member disposed in the flexible sheath, and having a pointed end, which end is movable from a first position to a second position, the at least one puncturing member having a suture lumen, a suture disposed in the suture lumen; an operating puncture member for moving the puncturing member between the first and second positions; a suction system for creating a negative pressure on an interior of the flexible sheath to suck a living tissue from the side opening to the interior of the flexible sheath; and at least one member for receiving the puncturing member provided inside of the flexible sheath at a position more distal than the side opening, the at least one member having a through hole for passage of the puncturing member and further having a slit in communication with the through hole along an entire length of the through hole; wherein the at least one member comprises first and second members which are provided substantially parallel and maintained at a fixed distance with each other in the flexible sheath, the art least one puncturing member comprises first and second puncturing members which are provided substantially parallel and maintained at a fixed distance with each other in the flexible sheath, the first member receiving the first puncturing member having the suture and the second member receiving a second puncturing member; wherein the at least one puncturing member is advanced distally through the through hole to puncture the living tissue in the interior of the flexible sheath, the suture is advanced distally of the pointed end of the puncturing member and the suture is withdrawn proximally through the slit when the puncturing member is moved proximally; and wherein the other of the two puncturing members is provided with a holding suture member for receiving and holding the suture.