Controller for gastric constriction device with selectable electrode configurations
First Claim
1. An implantable medical device comprising:
- a gastric constriction device configured to constrict a portion of a gastrointestinal tract of a patient;
a plurality of electrodes carried by the gastric constriction device;
a housing implanted in the patient; and
a controller within the housing that controls a degree of gastric constriction provided by the gastric constriction device, selects one or more of the electrodes, and delivers electrical stimulation energy to the patient via the selected electrodes.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure describes an implantable medical device that delivers electrical stimulation to a patient in combination with restriction ingestion of food by the patient to treaty obesity. The implantable medical device includes a gastric constriction device, such as a hydraulic or mechanical gastric band having a plurality of electrodes integrally formed thereon. A controller includes a control unit to control the degree of gastric constriction of the gastric constriction device and a pulse generator to control delivery of electrical stimulation to the patient. The control unit and pulse generator are enclosed within a housing implanted within the patient. By enclosing the control unit and pulse generator within a common housing, the trauma experienced by the patient during the implantation procedure may be substantially reduced. Additionally, the cost of the controller may be less than the cost of purchasing a control unit and a pulse generator separately.
104 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An implantable medical device comprising:
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a gastric constriction device configured to constrict a portion of a gastrointestinal tract of a patient;
a plurality of electrodes carried by the gastric constriction device;
a housing implanted in the patient; and
a controller within the housing that controls a degree of gastric constriction provided by the gastric constriction device, selects one or more of the electrodes, and delivers electrical stimulation energy to the patient via the selected electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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constricting a portion of a gastrointestinal tract of a patient using a gastric constriction device, wherein the gastric constriction device carries a plurality of electrodes;
delivering electrical stimulation energy to the constricted portion of the gastrointestinal tract via a selected subset of the electrodes; and
controlling the gastric constriction device and the delivery of electrical stimulation energy via a common controller. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An external control device for controlling an implantable gastric constriction device and an implantable electrical stimulation generator, the external control device comprising:
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a processor that generates control signals to control operation of the implantable gastric constriction device and the implantable electrical stimulation generator; and
a wireless telemetry interface that communicates the control signals to at least one control unit that controls the implantable gastric constriction device and the implantable electrical stimulation generator.
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33. A method for controlling an implantable gastric constriction device and an implantable electrical stimulation generator, the method comprising:
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generating control signals to control operation of the implantable gastric constriction device and the implantable electrical stimulation generator; and
communicating the control signals by wireless telemetry to at least one control unit that controls the implantable gastric constriction device and the implantable electrical stimulation generator.
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Specification