Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a condition where bleeding occurs from the walls of the gastro intestinal (GI) tract. A peptic ulcer is an erosion in the lining of the stomach or duodenum. Symptoms vary from patient to patient and may include nausea, heartburn, fatigue, vomiting blood etc. The condition is particularly dangerous in cases where the lesion to the tissue perforates the lining of the stomach or of the intestine, requiring emergency medical attention.
Treatment for PUD consists of hemostasis procedures, where the flow of blood from the damaged blood vessels is stopped. The procedure may be carried out endoscopically, with thermal therapy, injection of hemostatic medications, or cautery using lasers and argon plasma. Clips and other mechanical devices such as the Endoclip™ devices manufactured by the Olympus Corporation, may also be used to stop the flow of blood from the eroded tissue. Because the location of these hemorrhages are often deep within the body, deploying hemostatic clips is a complex and time consuming procedure.