Implantable digestive tract organ

• US 20070093910A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Python Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Python Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: IMRAN, Mir
• Granted Patent: US 8,034,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/23.65
• 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 2/482 Electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/045 Stomach, intestines
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/008 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0096 Markers and sensors for detecting a position or changes of a position of an implant, e.g. RF sensors, ultrasound markers

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.

Claims

1. An implantable prosthetic digestive organ comprising:

an elongate body having an orad end, an aborad end and a lumen therethrough, the elongate body configured to be connected with a portion of a digestive tract of a patient so that the lumen is capable of receiving digestive material passing from the portion of the digestive tract;

a mechanism coupled with the body which is capable of mechanically manipulating the digestive material within the lumen; and

a controller in communication with the mechanism for controlling the manipulation.

2. An organ as in claim 1, wherein the mechanical manipulation includes moving the material from the orad end toward the aborad end.

3. An organ as in claim 2, wherein moving includes peristaltic-like movement.

4. An organ as in claim 1, wherein the elongate body includes more than one section so that material is capable of passing from one section to another section, and wherein the mechanism is capable of manipulating the material within the one section independently of the other section.

5. An organ as in claim 4, wherein the controller is programmable to cause manipulation of the sections according to a predetermined pattern.

6. An organ as in claim 4, wherein the controller is capable of causing manipulation of the sections in response to at least one sensor.

7. An organ as in claim 4, wherein the more than one section includes a section closest to the aborad end, and wherein the controller is programmable to cause manipulation of the section closest to the aborad end prior to manipulation of any other section.

8. An organ as in claim 7, wherein the more than one section includes at least the section closest to the aborad end, another section, and a section therebetween, wherein the controller is programmable to cause manipulation of the section closest to the aborad end prior to manipulation of the section therebetween and manipulation of the section therebetween prior to the other section.

9. An organ as in claim 1, wherein the mechanism comprises a series of members disposed along the body which are capable of constricting the lumen in a manner so as to manipulate the digestive manner therein.

10. An organ as in claim 1, further comprising a valve disposed within the lumen.

11. An organ as in claim 10, wherein the valve comprises a one-way valve.

12. An implantable prosthetic digestive organ comprising:

an elongate body having an orad end, an aborad end and a lumen therethrough, the elongate body configured to implanted so as to replace at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s bowel;

a bowel emptying mechanism coupled with the body which is capable of moving digestive material within the lumen from the orad end toward the aborad end; and

a controller in communication with the mechanism for controlling the movement.

13. An organ as in claim 12, wherein the orad end is configured for attachment to an existing lumen of the patient'"'"'s digestive tract, and further comprising a valve disposed near the orad end which is caused to open when pressure in the existing lumen of the patient'"'"'s digestive tract exceeds the pressure within the lumen of the elongate body.

14. An organ as in claim 12, further comprising a valve disposed near the aborad end which is caused to open upon actuation by the patient.

15. An organ as in claim 12, further comprising at least one sensor which senses leakage of fluid into, out of or within the elongate body.

16. An organ as in claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an impedance sensor.

17. An organ as in claim 12, further comprising a reservoir for holding an injectable material and a pump configured to inject the injectable material into the lumen of the elongate body.

18. An organ as in claim 17, further comprising the injectable material wherein the injectable material comprises an antibiotic material, a gas dissolving material or a combination of these.

19. An organ as in claim 12, wherein the mechanism comprises a series of members disposed along the body which are capable of constricting the lumen in a manner so as to move the digestive material within the lumen from the orad end toward the aborad end.

20. An organ as in claim 19, wherein the members comprise inflatable elements which extend into the lumen upon inflation.

21. An implantable prosthetic digestive organ comprising:

an elongate body having an first end, a second end and a lumen therethrough, the elongate body configured to be connected with a portion of a digestive tract of a patient so that the lumen is capable of receiving digestive material passing from the portion of the digestive tract;

at least two inflatable members disposed along the body which are capable of extending into the lumen upon inflation and retracting from the lumen upon deflation; and

a pump connected with the inflatable members which causes the inflation and deflation due to actuation by a controller.

22. An organ as in claim 21, wherein the at least two inflatable members occlude the lumen upon inflation so as to prevent significant passage of digestive material therethrough.

23. An organ as in claim 21, wherein the at least two inflatable members allow significant passage of digestive material therethrough in a first direction and prevent significant passage of digestive material therethrough in an opposite direction.

24. An organ as in claim 21, wherein the at least two inflatable members comprise a plurality of inflatable members disposed along the body which are capable of extending into the lumen in a manner so as to move the digestive material within the lumen from the first end toward the second end.

25. An organ as in claim 21, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to sense pressure within at least one of the inflatable members.

26. An organ as in claim 25, further comprising the controller and wherein the controller is capable of providing a signal to the pump in response to the sensed pressure.

27. An organ as in claim 21, further comprising the controller and wherein the controller is capable of receiving a control signal via telemetry.

28. An organ as in claim 27, further comprising an external device capable of transmitting the control signal in response to actuation by the patient.