Patent ID: 8382775

Claim:
An instrument for use in modifying a patient's stomach by operating on the stomach extragastrically to decrease the effective volume of the patient's stomach, said instrument comprising: a first elongate end effector formed at a distal end portion of said instrument, said first elongate end effector having a first operational surface configured to contact an external surface of the patient's stomach; a second elongate end effector formed at a distal end portion of said instrument, said second elongate end effector having a second operational surface configured to contact an external surface of the patient's stomach on a location opposite of where the first elongate end effector is configured to contact the external surface of the stomach, and wherein said second operational surface opposes said first operational surface; a first plurality of suction ports extending along a length of said first elongate end effector from a distal portion of said first end effector to a proximal portion of said first end effector and configured to deliver suction to the external surface of the stomach to engage said first elongate end effector therewith; and a second plurality of suction ports extending along a length of said second elongate end effector from a distal portion of said second end effector to a proximal portion of said second end effector and configured to deliver suction to the external surface of the stomach to engage said second elongate end effector therewith and wherein said first end effector and said second end effector are movable by actuating a joint mechanism connecting said first and second end effectors.