Patent ID: 7399272

Claim:
A suction-assisted tissue-engaging device adapted to be used in a method of performing a medical procedure on body tissue accessed through an incision into a body cavity, comprising: an elongated articulating arm extending between an articulating arm proximal end and an articulating arm distal end enclosing an arm vacuum lumen coupled with a vacuum port for drawing a vacuum through the arm vacuum lumen, the articulating arm adapted to be manipulated in a flexible state into an operative shape and changed into a rigid state maintaining the operative shape, wherein the arm vacuum lumen exhibits a vacuum leak when the articulating arm is in the flexible state, and wherein the vacuum leak is sealed as the articulating arm is changed from the flexible state to the rigid state; and a suction member coupled to the articulating arm distal end having a suction member vacuum lumen coupled with the arm vacuum lumen extending to at least one suction port adapted to be applied against the body organ, whereby vacuum drawn through the vacuum port provides suction at the suction port to engage body tissue.