ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER ACTUATED GASTRIC BAND

• US 20070027356A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0066 Closing devices for gastric bands

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for remotely adjusting a size of a gastric band disposed around a patient'"'"'s stomach. In one exemplary embodiment, a gastric band is provided having a first end and a second end that mate to one another to encircle a stomach. A latch mechanism can be formed on the band, and at least one actuator can be coupled to the latch mechanism and it can be adapted to expand and contract the latch mechanism when energy is applied thereto to adjust a diameter of the band. In one exemplary embodiment, the actuator(s) is an electroactive polymer actuator.

Claims

1. A gastric band, comprising:

a flexible band adapted to encircle a stomach;

a latch mechanism formed on the band; and

at least one actuator coupled to the latch mechanism and adapted to expand and contract the latch mechanism when energy is applied thereto to adjust a diameter of the band.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator comprises an electroactive polymer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible band includes a first end with a plurality of teeth formed thereon, and a second end having the latch mechanism formed therein for engaging the plurality of teeth formed on the first end.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the latch mechanism includes a locking actuator adapted to releasably lock the first and second ends relative to one another, and a traversing actuator adapted to engage the teeth to selectively move the first and second ends relative to one another.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the locking actuator is adapted to increase an opening within the latch mechanism when energy is delivered thereto to allow slidable movement of the first and second ends relative to one another.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the opening in the latch mechanism is defined by a housing having opposed first and second sidewalls and top and bottom surfaces extending between the first and second side walls and wherein the locking actuator comprises a first actuator coupled to the first sidewall and a second actuator coupled to the second sidewall.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first and second actuators are adapted to increase a height of the first and second sidewalls.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein the traversing actuator is coupled to a first arm extending from the latch mechanism and adapted to engage one of the plurality of teeth.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the traversing actuator is adapted to expand the first arm to move from engagement with a first tooth to engagement with a second tooth when energy is delivered to the traversing actuator, and to contract the first arm to move the second end relative to the first end to decrease a diameter of the flexible band when energy delivery is terminated.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising at least one additional arm positioned adjacent to the first arm and adapted to maintain engagement with the first tooth while the first arm is expanded to engage a second tooth.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator is coupled to a transformer that is adapted to be subcutaneously implanted and to remotely receive energy from the external energy source.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a biasing element coupled to the flexible band and adapted to bias the flexible band to a maximum diameter.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first actuator adapted to increase the diameter of the flexible band, and a second actuator adapted to decrease the diameter of the flexible band.

14. A gastric band, comprising:

a flexible band adapted to encircle a stomach and having first and second ends that mate to one another; and

at least one electrically expandable and contractible actuator coupled to the flexible band and adapted to adjust a diameter of the band when electrical energy is delivered thereto.

15. The gastric band of claim 14, wherein the at least one electrically expandable and contractible actuator comprises an electroactive polymer actuator.

16. The gastric band of claim 14, wherein the at least one electrically expandable and contractible actuator is coupled to a latch mechanism formed on one of the first and second ends.

17. A method for remotely adjusting a gastric band disposed around a stomach, comprising:

selectively delivering energy to at least one electrically expandable and contractible actuator disposed on a gastric band positioned around a stomach to change a diameter of the gastric band.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein selectively delivering energy to at least one electrically expandable and contractible actuator comprises delivering energy to a locking actuator to allow slidable movement of first and second ends of the gastric band relative to one another, and selectively delivering energy to a traversing actuator to move the first and second ends relative to one another.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first end includes a plurality of teeth formed thereon, and the second end includes a latch mechanism formed thereon and having an opening for receiving the first end, and an arm for engaging at least one of the plurality of teeth.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the locking actuator expands the opening when energy is delivered thereto to disengage the first end, and contracts the opening when energy delivery is terminated to engage the first end.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the traversing actuator expands the arm when energy is delivered thereto to engage an adjacent tooth, and contracts the arm when energy delivery is terminated to move the first and second ends relative to one another.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein energy is delivered remotely to a subcutaneous transformer that is coupled to the electrically expandable and contractible actuator.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one electrically expandable and contractible actuator comprises an electroactive polymer.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein selectively delivering energy comprises:

delivering energy to a first actuator to increase a diameter of the gastric band; and

delivering energy to a second actuator to decrease the diameter of the gastric band.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first actuator is coupled to an arm that moves a first and second end of the gastric band relative to one another to decrease the diameter of the gastric band, and wherein the second actuator is coupled to a latch that expands to allow for slidable movement of the first and second ends of the gastric band relative to one another to increase the diameter of the gastric band.