Intragastric bag apparatus and method of delivery for treating obesity

• US 20080281257A1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Waller, David F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,007,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/28
• 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

A delivery system and method of use thereof for introducing an intragastric bag and filler strip into a gastric lumen are described. The delivery system includes a multi-lumen overtube, one or retractable hooks, an endoscopic looping device, and a pusher rod. The intragastric bag is attached and loaded into the overtube. The overtube is then deployed within the gastric lumen. A pusher rod pushes the distal end of the intragastric bag out of the overtube and into the gastric lumen. With the intragastric bag open, the filler strip is advanced into the intragastric bag using the pusher rod. The endoscopic loop is then tightened around the proximal end of the intragastric bag so that the filler strip remains entrapped within the intragastric bag.

Claims

1. A delivery system for introducing an obesity device into a gastric lumen, comprising:

an overtube including a proximal end, a distal end, and a plurality of lumens;

an attachment mechanism removably attaching a proximal end of an intragastric bag to the distal end of the overtube prior to the bag being released into the gastric lumen;

an endoscopic looping device extending through one of the plurality of lumens, the endoscopic looping device adapted to close an end of the intragastric bag; and

a pusher rod having a proximal end and a distal end, the pusher rod adapted for pushing the intragastric bag into the gastric lumen, and further adapted for pushing a filler strip into the intragastric bag.

2. The delivery system of claim 1, the attachment mechanism further comprising one or more retractable hooks adapted to secure the proximal end of the bag to the distal end of the overtube, each of the one or more retractable hooks extending through one of the plurality of lumens of the overtube.

3. The delivery system according to claim 1, the pusher rod including flaps at the distal end.

4. The delivery system according to claim 2, each of the one or more retractable hooks movable from a curved configuration to a straight configuration, the one or more retractable hooks in the curved configuration adapted to secure the intragastric bag to the overtube, and the one or more retractable hooks in the straight configuration adapted to release the intragastric bag.

5. The delivery system according to claim 4, wherein the one or more retractable hooks are formed from a shape memory alloy.

6. The delivery system according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of lumens of the overtube is a main lumen through which the intragastric bag and filler strip is delivered.

7. A method for introducing an intragastric bag into a gastric lumen, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a delivery system comprising;

an overtube including a proximal end, a distal end, a main lumen, and a plurality of lumens smaller than the main lumen;

one or more retractable hooks, each of the one or more retractable hooks extending through one of the plurality of lumens of the overtube;

an endoscopic looping device extending through one of the plurality of lumens, the endoscopic looping device adapted to close an end of the intragastric bag; and

a pusher rod having a proximal end and a distal end, the pusher rod adapted for pushing the intragastric bag into the gastric lumen, and further adapted for pushing the filler strip into the intragastric bag;

(b) positioning the one or more retractable hooks within the plurality of lumens such that the one or more retractable hooks extend from the distal end of the overtube to attain a curved configuration;

(c) loading the intragastric bag into the main lumen of the overtube, the intragastric bag having a first compressed configuration within the main lumen, wherein a proximal end of the intragastric bag is secured to the distal end of the overtube by securing the proximal end of the bag to the one or more retractable hooks; and

(d) positioning the overtube within the gastric lumen such that the distal end of the overtube is positioned at a target site within the gastric lumen.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

(e) pushing a distal end of the intragastric bag with the pusher rod until the distal end of the intragastric bag passes beyond the distal end of the overtube into the gastric lumen.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein step (e) further comprises the step of expanding the intragastric bag from the first compressed configuration to the second configuration within the gastric lumen.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the distal end of the intragastric bag comprises a distal stopper, the distal stopper sealing the distal end of the bag.

11. A method for introducing an intragastric bag and filler strip into a gastric lumen, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a delivery system comprising;

an overtube including a proximal end, a distal end, and a plurality of lumens;

one or more retractable hooks, each of the one or more retractable hooks extending through one of the plurality of lumens of the overtube;

an endoscopic looping device extending through one of the plurality of lumens, the endoscopic looping device adapted close an end of the intragastric bag; and

a pusher rod having a proximal end and a distal end, the pusher rod adapted for pushing the intragastric bag into the gastric lumen, and further adapted for pushing the filler strip into the intragastric bag;

(b) loading the intragastric bag into the main lumen of the overtube, the intragastric bag having a first compressed configuration within the main lumen, wherein the proximal end of the intragastric bag is secured to the distal end of the overtube by securing the proximal end of the bag to the one or more retractable hooks;

(c) positioning the overtube within the gastric lumen such that the distal end of the overtube is positioned at a target site within the gastric lumen;

(d) pushing a distal end of the intragastric bag with the pusher rod until the distal end of the intragastric bag passes beyond the distal end of the overtube and into the gastric lumen; and

(e) advancing the filler strip distally along the main lumen of the overtube.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein step (e) further comprises the step of pushing the filler strip with the pusher rod distally along the main lumen.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein step (e) further comprises the step of partially cutting into the filler strip material to catch on the knots to create a sufficient force against the filler strip.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(f) pushing the filler strip with the pusher rod until a distal end of the filler strip passes beyond the distal end of the overtube.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(g) closing the endoscopic loop around the proximal end of the bag; and

(h) introducing a cutting device through the main lumen of the overtube to incise the endoscopic loop to free the loop from the proximal end of the bag.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of:

(i) retracting each of the one or more hooks into the plurality of lumens, the retraction causing each of the one or more hooks to straighten, the straightening allowing each the one or more hooks to slip from the intragastric bag to release the proximal end of the intragastric bag into the gastric lumen.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein step (h) further comprises the step of withdrawing the incised loop from the gastric lumen.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of:

(j) cutting the closed endoscopic loop to create an opening for accessing and removing the filler strip from the bag.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein step (j) further comprises withdrawing the intragastric bag and the filler strip from the gastric lumen after a predetermined period of time.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the filler strip biodegrades after weight loss has occurred.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the bag and the filler strip biodegrade after weight loss has occurred.