Object-delivery shuttle

1. An object-transport device for shuttling an object along an elongate medical device within an internal lumen of a patient body, said object-transport device comprising:

a body including

a leading portion and a trailing portion, each comprising a minimally traumatic profile including a rounded external end surface configured for entry into and passage through a patient gastrointestinal tract;

a lumen configured for slidably mounting the body onto one of a wire guide, catheter, or stylet and the lumen configured for the body to be shuttled along a complete length thereof, wherein said complete length is sufficient to be directed through an endoscope to a biliary tree of a patient;

a cargo-carrying portion configured to releasably receive at least one object to be transported in, and released intact from, a substantially open region of the cargo-carrying portion defined on at least one end by at least one of a proximal surface of the leading portion and a distal surface of the trailing portion; and

at least one object configured to be transported in the substantially open region and to be released intact therefrom.

2. The object-transport device of claim 1 , further comprising an attachment structure for attachment of the body to an introducer device.

3. The object-transport device of claim 2 , wherein the attachment structure provides a releasable attachment to the introducer device.

4. The object-transport device of claim 1 , wherein the object-transport device comprises a material configured to be passed substantially undigested through a patient's gastrointestinal tract.

5. The object-transport device of claim 1 , wherein the object-transport device comprises a material configured to be at least one of digestible, soluble, resorbable, and fractionable within a patient's body.

6. A method for delivering an object to a site in a patient body, comprising the steps of:

providing the at least one object to be transported and an object-transport device according to claim 1 ;

attaching the at least one object to the cargo-carrying portion, such that at least a portion of the at least one object occupies the substantially open region of the cargo-carrying portion defined on at least one end by at least one of a proximal surface of the leading portion and a distal surface of the trailing portion;

mounting the object-transport device to the one of a wire guide, catheter, or stylet by directing the one of a wire guide, catheter, or stylet through the lumen; and

directing the object-transport device over the one of a wire guide, catheter, or stylet to a target site in a patient body along its gastrointestinal tract.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the object-transport device comprises a material having a property selected from the group consisting of digestible, soluble, resorbable, and fractionable.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one object comprises a material having a property selected from the group consisting of digestible, soluble, resorbable, and fractionable.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the object-transport device further comprises an introducer element attached to the body and configured for moving the object-transport device over the one of a wire guide, catheter, or stylet during the directing step.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the introducer element comprises an elongate catheter.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein an introducer element is releasably attached to the body of the object-transport device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising a step of releasing the body of the object-transport device from the introducer element.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of directing the object-transport device over the one of a wire guide, catheter, or stylet comprises providing an endoscope with a wire guide placed therethrough, said wire guide being directed to the target site.

14. The object-transport device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one object to be shuttled comprises at least one magnet.

15. A system for delivering an object into a patient body comprising:

a wire guide dimensioned for passage through a working lumen of an endoscope to a target site along a patient gastrointestinal tract;

a body including

a leading portion and a trailing portion, each comprising a minimally traumatic profile including a rounded external end surface configured for entry into and passage within an internal lumen of a patient body;

a lumen configured for slidably mounting the body onto the wire guide in a manner allowing the body to be shuttled along a complete length thereof; and

a cargo-carrying portion configured to releasably receive an object to be transported in a substantially open region of the cargo-carrying portion defined on at least one end by at least one of a proximal surface of the leading portion and a distal surface of the trailing portion; and

an object attached to the cargo-carrying portion, and substantially disposed within the substantially open region and configured to be released intact therefrom.