Patent ID: 6974441

Claim:
An intraluminal device for insertion in a hollow viscus, comprising: an elongated body member, the elongated body member having at least three independent inflatable sections along the length of the body member, wherein the independent sections are axially spaced along the body member with one of said at least three inflatable sections extending to a distal end of said body member and a second of said at least three inflatable sections extending to a proximal end of said body member and each inflatable section is axially fixed relative to the remainder of the axially spaced inflatable sections, and wherein each inflatable section is designed to give shape to a collapsed viscus by acquiring its distended form when the inflated section is in the inflated condition; at least one tube within said body member wherein each adjacent inflatable section extends around the entire circumference of body member, and wherein the tube has an opening at one end thereof positioned at a peripheral portion of the device between the adjacent inflatable sections, and wherein the tube extends from the opening at the one end to a proximal end of the body member, wherein the tube is adapted to be selectively attached to a suction source or a fluid supply source whereby material can be selectively withdrawn from or supplied to the area surrounding the device and within the hollow viscus between the adjacent inflatable sections with the material flowing through the tube opening at the end of the tube; means for independently inflating each individual inflatable section to give shape to a collapsed viscus by acquiring its distended form when the inflatable section is in the inflated condition; and at least one optical scope positioned between adjacent inflatable sections and extending to a proximal end of the body member whereby an operator may view the section of the hollow viscus between the adjacent sections.