Methods and devices for use in tissue approximation and fixation are
described herein. The present invention provides, in part, methods and
devices for acquiring tissue folds in a circumferential configuration
within a hollow body organ, e.g., a stomach, positioning the tissue folds
for affixing within a fixation zone of the stomach, preferably to create
a pouch or partition below the esophagus, and fastening the tissue folds
such that a tissue ring, or stomas, forms excluding the pouch from the
greater stomach cavity. The present invention further provides devices
for performing a transoral, endoscopic hollow organ division, including a
tissue acquisition device capable of acquiring the desired tissue
circumferentially, and a fixation mechanism to secure the muscular layers
of the acquired tissue such that the desired healing response is
achieved.
