Intragastric bag for treating obesity

• US 20070276428A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Soetermans, Maximiliano, Haller, Frederick, Rucker, Brian, Voorhees, William, Karpiel, John, O'Sullivan, Donagh
• Granted Patent: US 8,216,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0003 Apparatus for the treatment of obesity; Anti-eating devices surgical instruments or methods for treatment of obesity, devices specially adapted therefor A61B17/00; hollow or tubular parts of organs A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices

Abstract

An apparatus and method comprising at least one intragastric member made of a digestive-resistant or substantially indigestible material that is introduced into a bag located in the gastric lumen of a mammal for the treatment of obesity. One or more intragastric members are loaded into a delivery tube in a partially compacted first configuration and delivered to an overtube. The overtube includes a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen configured to receive the intragastric members in the first configuration for delivery to the bag located in the gastric lumen wherein the intragastric member is expanded to a second configuration. The apparatus further comprises a constraining element engaged with the bag to secure the intragastric member upon delivery into the gastric lumen.

Claims

1. An intragastric device for the treatment of obesity, the intragastric device comprising:

a bag disposed within the gastric lumen of a mammal; and

a plurality of intragastric members disposed within the bag, the intragastric members being sufficiently small to permit introduction of the intragastric members into the bag, wherein a sufficient number of the intragastric members are disposed within the bag to prevent the bag from passing through the mammal'"'"'s pylorus.

2. The intragastric device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of intragastric members are expandable from a first configuration to a second configuration.

3. The intragastric device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a plurality of intragastric members connected together to facilitate delivery to the bag located in the gastric lumen.

4. The intragastric device according to claim 3 wherein the plurality of intragastric members are connected together with a retaining element that passes through an opening in each intragastric member, and further wherein said plurality of intragastric members are connected together in a first configuration.

5. The intragastric device according to claim 4 wherein the retaining element comprises a nylon thread having a first end and a second end that are connected together in the first configuration.

6. The intragastric member of claim 3 wherein the plurality of intragastric members are loaded through a delivery tube, wherein the delivery tube facilitates the delivery of the plurality of intragastric members from the delivery tube into the bag located in the gastric lumen.

7. The intragastric device according to claim 1 further comprising an overtube comprising a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen configured to receive the plurality of the intragastric members.

8. The intragastric device according to claim 1, wherein the bag comprises a plurality of openings along the surface of the bag to facilitate the passage of the gastric fluid into the bag.

9. The intragastric device of claim 1 wherein a constraining element is engaged to the bag to secure the plurality of the intragastric members within the bag.

10. The intragastric device according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of the intragastric members comprise a dissolvable outer package allowing the plurality of the intragastric members to expand from a first configuration to a second configuration.

11. The intragastric member according to claim 10 wherein the dissolvable outer package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of cellulose, gelatin and glycerin.

12. The intragastric device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of the intragastric members comprise a nylon thread forming a bundle.

13. The intragastric device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of the intragastric members comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of plastic, nylon, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyethylenes, polyamides, silicone and biocompatible polymers to which food will generally not adhere.

14. The intragastric device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of the intragastric members comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer.

15. An intragastric device for the treatment of obesity, the intragastric device comprising:

a bag;

a plurality of intragastric members that are sufficiently small to permit introduction of the one or more intragastric members into the bag, wherein when the plurality of the intragastric members are disposed in the bag, the bag is configured to prevent the intragastric device from passing through the mammal'"'"'s pylorus;

a delivery tube having a lumen, a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the plurality of the intragastric members are loaded between the proximal end and distal end of the delivery tube; and

an overtube comprising a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen configured to permit passage through the plurality of intragastric members.

16. The intragastric device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of intragastric members are expandable from a first configuration to a second configuration.

17. The intragastric device according to claim 16, wherein the intragastric device comprises a plurality of intragastric members connected together to facilitate delivery to the bag located in the gastric lumen.

18. The intragastric device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of intragastric members are connected together with a retaining element that passes through an opening in each intragastric member, and further wherein the plurality of intragastric members are connected together in the first configuration.

19. The intragastric device according to claim 18 wherein the retaining element comprises a nylon thread having a first end and a second end that are connected together in the first configuration.

20. The intragastric device according to claim 16 wherein the bag comprises a plurality of openings along the surface to facilitate the passage of the gastric fluid into the bag located in the gastric lumen.

21. The intragastric device of claim 16 wherein a constraining element is engaged to the bag to secure the intragastric member within the bag.

22. The intragastric device according to claim 16 wherein said plurality of intragastric members comprise a dissolvable outer package allowing the intragastric member to expand from the first configuration to the second configuration.

23. The intragastric member according to claim 22 wherein the dissolvable outer package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of cellulose, gelatin and glycerin.

24. The intragastric device according to claim 16 wherein said plurality of intragastric members comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of plastic, nylon, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyethylenes, polyamides, silicone and biocompatible polymers to which food will generally not adhere.

25. A method of treatment of obesity in mammals, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning a bag within a gastric lumen;

(b) advancing a plurality of intragastric members into the bag, the plurality of intragastric members being sufficiently small to permit introduction of the first intragastric member into the bag, wherein a sufficient number of the intragastric members are disposed within the bag to prevent the bag from passing through the mammal'"'"'s pylorus.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of positioning an overtube within the gastric lumen, the overtube configured to receive the bag, and advancing the bag along the overtube, the bag being releasably coupled to the overtube.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of introducing the plurality of intragastric members into a delivery tube, the intragastric members in a first configuration that is sufficiently small to be introduced into the delivery tube.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of advancing the delivery tube with the plurality of intragastric members along the overtube until a distal end of the delivery tube is positioned in the gastric lumen.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of pushing the plurality of intragastric members past the distal end of the delivery tube and into the bag.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of expanding the plurality of intragastric members from the first configuration.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of securing a proximal end of the bag with a constraining element.