Active Magnetic Manipulation of Internal Organs and Tissues

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a surgical procedure that typically utilizes an endoscope or other instrument which is passed through a small incision into a body. Because of this, it often results in less trauma, complications and adverse effects versus open-type surgery. It is not without challenges, however, particularly when it comes to tissue manipulation, which is needed for greater visualization or dissection. When a single tubular body is employed in MIS procedures, simultaneous tissue retraction and dissection become difficult. Magnetic tissue anchors are sometimes used to grasp tissue during MIS, but they are manually controlled with a moveable magnet positioned external to the body.