Implantable digestive tract organ
First Claim
1. An implantable prosthetic digestive organ for moving materials through a portion of the digestive tract comprising:
- an outer support structure;
at least one expandable member located within the outer support structure;
a flexible inner member forming a conduit for the movement of material therethrough, the flexible inner member located within the outer member, wherein the least one expandable member is located between the inner member and the outer support structure.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable digestive organ is provided for the transport of materials through the digestive tract and in one particular application to an artificial large bowel for replacing all or part of a colon or large bowel. The prosthetic organ of one embodiment includes an outer support structure, an expandable member or members located within the outer support structure, and a flexible inner member forming a conduit for the passage of material. The flexible inner member is located within the outer member and the expandable member or members are located between the inner member and the outer support structure. The expandable members are expanded and contracted, or inflated and deflated to provide a pumping action that pumps the material through the organ. The prosthesis may also include valves or sphincters at the entrance and/or exit points of the organ where material moves into and out of the prosthesis. An implantable pump unit may be included for inflating and deflating the expandable members according to a desired sequence.
89 Citations
44 Claims
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1. An implantable prosthetic digestive organ for moving materials through a portion of the digestive tract comprising:
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an outer support structure;
at least one expandable member located within the outer support structure;
a flexible inner member forming a conduit for the movement of material therethrough, the flexible inner member located within the outer member, wherein the least one expandable member is located between the inner member and the outer support structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An implantable prosthetic digestive organ for moving materials through a portion of the digestive tract comprising:
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an outer support structure;
a flexible inner member forming a conduit for the movement of material therethrough, the flexible inner member located within the outer member; and
a valve comprising at least one expandable member located between the inner member and the outer support structure. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An implantable prosthetic organ portion comprising:
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an orad end portion;
an aborad end portion;
a length extending from the orad end portion to the aborad end portion; and
a plurality of peristalsis sections of the length wherein the plurality of peristalsis sections are configured when actuated to move material through the prosthetic organ portion. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. An implantable prosthetic digestive tract organ for moving materials through the organ comprising:
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an outer support means for supporting the organ;
expandable means for moving material through the organ, the at least one expandable means located within the outer support means a flexible inner conduit means for forming a conduit for the movement of material therethrough, the flexible inner conduit means located within the outer member, wherein the least one expandable means is located between the inner conduit means and the outer support means. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A method of moving material through a digestive tract comprising the steps of:
providing a prosthetic organ comprising;
an outer support structure;
a plurality of expandable members located within the outer support structure;
and a flexible inner member forming a conduit for the movement of material therethrough, the flexible inner member located within the outer member, wherein the expandable members are located between the inner member and the outer support structure; and
sequentially inflating the expandable members to advance material through the inner member.
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42. A method of moving material through a prosthetic organ of a digestive tract comprising the steps of:
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providing a prosthetic organ portion having an orad end portion and an aborad end portion, a length extending from the orad end portion to the aborad end portion and a plurality of peristalsis sections along the length; and
actuating each of the plurality of peristalsis sections according to a sequence of sections to move material through each of the plurality of peristalsis sections. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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Specification