SATIATION DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20080208356A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Barosense, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Barosense, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Williams, Michael S., Athas, William L., STACK, Richard S., GLENN, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US11/958,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208356A1
• 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 2/07 Stent-grafts
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/045 Stomach, intestines
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/067 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8483 Barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0076 preventing normal digestion, e.g. Bariatric or gastric sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0079 Pyloric or esophageal obstructions

Abstract

A device for inducing weight loss in a patient includes a tubular prosthesis positionable at the gastro-esophageal junction region, preferably below the z-line. In a method for inducing weight loss, the prosthesis is placed such that an opening at its proximal end receives masticated food from the esophagus, and such that the masticated food passes through the pouch and into the stomach via an opening in its distal end.

Claims

1. A gastroesophageal implant system, comprising:

an implant;

a plicator endoscopically engageable with stomach wall tissue to form a tissue plication; and

an anchor adapted to be coupled to a stomach wall plication formed using the plicator, and to be coupled to the implant to retain the implant within the stomach.

2. The implant system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the implant and the anchor is a ring.

3. The system of claim 1, further including an endoscope extendable through a mouth of the patient and into the stomach, the endoscope operable to provide visualization of the implant and connector during implantation of the implant and the anchor.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the implant is a ring and further comprises a mesh wall attached to the ring.

5. The implant system of claim 1, wherein the implant, when coupled to the stomach wall plication, defines a restricted flow path from a first stomach region proximal to the implant to a second stomach region distal to the implant.

6. The implant system of claim 1, wherein the anchor is a clip.

7. The implant system of claim 1, wherein the plicator is a vacuum plicator.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first implant is a flow-restrictive implant, and wherein food ingested by the patient flows through the flow-restrictive device from the first section to the second section.

8. A method for inducing weight loss in a patient, comprising the steps of:

endoscopically forming a tissue plication within a stomach;

coupling a first implant to the tissue plication;

retaining the first implant within the stomach such that a first section of the stomach is proximal to the implant and a second section of the stomach is distal to the implant;

wherein food ingested by the patient flows from the first section to the second section.

10. The method of claim 8, further including after coupling the first implant, coupling a second implant to the first implant.

11. A system for limiting food intake by a patient, the system comprising:

a flow-restrictive implant implantable within the stomach such that a first section of the stomach is proximal to the implant and a second section of the stomach is distal to the implant, the implant defining a flow path such that ingested food flows from the first section, through the flow path, and into the second section; and

a connector adapted to couple to tissue within the stomach, the connector engageable with the implant to retain the implant within the stomach;

wherein a portion of the implant is selectively moveable to alter the cross-sectional area of the flow path.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein implant is a tubular device defined by a wall, wherein the wall is band expandable to increase the cross-sectional area and retractable to decrease the cross-section area.

13. A method of implanting a stomach implant, comprising the steps of:

endoscopically coupling at least one elongate element to a stomach interior;

threading a proximal portion of the elongate element through a stomach implant; and

advancing the stomach implant over the elongate element and into contact with the stomach interior.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein coupling the elongate element includes coupling the elongate element to a plication formed in stomach wall tissue.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further includes endoscopically coupling a plurality of elongate elements to plications formed in stomach wall tissue, threading each elongate element through a corresponding anchor point in the stomach implant.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein threading of the proximal portion of the elongate element is performed outside the body.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the elongate element is a suture.