Gastrointestinal anti-reflux prosthesis apparatus and method

• US 20070027549A1
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Norman Godin
• Original Assignee: Norman Godin
• Inventors: Godin, Norman
• Application Number:
  US10/570,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027549A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/23.680
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2476 Valves implantable in the body not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/044 Oesophagi or esophagi or gullets

Abstract

A prosthesis (13) for implanting in an upper stomach to prevent gastric reflux in an esophagus comprising a tube (17) made of a biocompatible polymer that is resistant to gastric acid, the tube having an upper end and a lower end, a length, and a generally constant diameter along the entire length thereof, the upper end having means (16) for securing to the upper stomach, the lower end having at least one slit (18) to facilitate inversion of the tube during vomiting but to facilitate collapsing of the tube under pressure generated by gastric reflux.

Claims

1. A prosthesis for implanting in an upper stomach to prevent gastric reflux in an esophagus comprising a tube made of a biocompatible polymer that is resistant to gastric acid, the tube having an upper end and a lower end, a length, and a generally constant sectional diameter along the entire length thereof from the upper end to the lower end, the upper end having means for securing to the upper opening of the stomach, the lower end having at least one slit to facilitate inversion of the tube during a high pressure vomiting event but to facilitate collapsing of the tube under a level of lateral pressure generated by gastric reflux.

2. The prosthesis of claim 1 having one to eight slits.

3. The prosthesis of claim 1 having two slits.

4. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the tube has a generally constant sectional diameter along the entire length thereof from the upper end to the lower end.

5. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the one or more slits have a length of at least about one third of the length of the tube from the lower end toward the upper end.

6. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the one or more slits have a length of between 66% and 95% of the length of the tube.

7. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible polymer is medical grade polyurethane, silicone, or polystyrene-ethylene (PSE).

8. The prosthesis of claim 1 having a length from upper end to lower end of about 2 to 10 cm.

9. The prosthesis of claim 1 wherein the means for securing to the upper opening of the stomach is a set of at least three clips.

10. A method of preventing gastric reflux in a patient comprising implanting a prosthesis comprising a tube having an upper end and a lower end, a length, and a generally constant sectional diameter along the entire length thereof by securing the upper end to the upper opening of the patient'"'"'s upper stomach and allowing the lower end to hang in the upper stomach, the tube having at least one slit at the lower end and adapted to collapse under a level of lateral pressure generated by gastric reflux from the stomach, invert during a high level of lateral pressure generated by vomiting so as to permit vomit to exit, and upon reduction of pressure at the completion of the vomiting, the tube to return to the pre-vomiting position.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising providing the tube with between 1 and 8 slits.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising providing the tube with 2 slits.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more slits have a length of about one third the length of the tube.