REMOTELY ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BANDING DEVICE

• US 20090182356A1
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frederick L. Coe
• Original Assignee: Frederick L. Coe
• Inventors: Coe, Frederick L.
• Application Number:
  US12/041,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0066 Closing devices for gastric bands

Abstract

A remotely controllable gastric banding device (10) for placement around the stomach of a patient for the treatment of obesity. The device (10) comprises a gastric band (10) having an inflatable chamber (16) for adjusting the inner circumference of the band (10), a pressurized reservoir (20) with a valve (31) for providing fluid to inflate the inflation chamber (16), a valve (32) for releasing fluid from the inflatable chamber (16), and a controller (41) for controlling the valves (31, 32). The controller (41) is remotely controllable from outside the patient.

Claims

1. A passively pressurized inflatable gastric banding apparatus for treatment of obesity in a patient, comprising:

a gastric band suitable for laparoscopic placement around the stomach of the patient to create a stoma opening, the gastric band having an inflatable chamber defining an inner circumference of the band, the pressure within the inflatable chamber being denoted P2;

a pressurized fluid reservoir connected to provide fluid to inflate the inflation chamber, the pressurized fluid reservoir having a pressure P1;

an inlet valve between the pressurized fluid reservoir and the inflatable chamber;

an outlet that is not the pressurized fluid reservoir having a pressure P3;

an outlet valve between the inflatable chamber and the outlet; and

a controller for actuating the inlet valve and passively increasing the fluid volume in the inflatable chamber when P1>

P2, or actuating the outlet valve and passively decreasing the fluid volume in the inflatable chamber when P2>

P3, thereby adjusting the inner circumference of the band.

2. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a receiver and is remotely controllable from outside of the patient, and further comprising a remote control for remotely transmitting control signals to the controller.

3. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiver is an RF receiver and the controller actuates the inlet and outlet valves in response to the received RF signals.

4. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power source for providing power to the controller, the first valve, and the second valve.

5. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 4, wherein the power source is selected from the group consisting of:

an induction coil,

a battery,

a capacitor, and

a piezo-electrically charged capacitor.

6. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outlet is adapted to be in fluid communication with the peritoneal cavity of the patient.

7. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outlet is a waste reservoir.

8. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 7, wherein the waste reservoir is negatively pressurized.

9. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inflatable chamber is substantially coextensive with an inner stomach-facing surface of the gastric band to form a circular adjustable stoma opening.

10. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, further including a fill tube connected to the inflatable chamber and a fill port on the end of the fill tube suitable for receiving transdermal injections of fluid, wherein the pressurized fluid reservoir is connected to the fill tube.

11. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressurized fluid reservoir is located on the gastric band.

12. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 1, further including a measuring device for measuring fluid flow through the inlet valve.

13. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 12, further including a measuring device for measuring fluid flow through the outlet valve.

14. A passively pressurized inflatable gastric banding apparatus for treatment of obesity in a patient, comprising:

a laparoscopically implantable gastric band having an inflatable member for adjusting an inner circumference of the band, the pressure within the inflatable member being denoted P2;

a pressurized fluid reservoir connected to provide fluid to inflate the inflation member, the pressurized fluid reservoir having a pressure P1;

an inlet valve between the pressurized fluid reservoir and the inflatable member;

a controller remotely controllable from outside of the patient for actuating the inlet valve and passively increasing the fluid volume in the inflatable member when P1>

P2, thereby reducing the inner circumference of the band.

15. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

an outlet that is not the pressurized fluid reservoir having a pressure P3;

an outlet valve between the inflatable member and the outlet; and

wherein the controller actuates the outlet valve and passively decreases the fluid volume in the inflatable member when P2>

P3, thereby enlarging the inner circumference of the band.

16. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 15, wherein the outlet is adapted to be in fluid communication with the peritoneal cavity of the patient.

17. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 15, wherein the outlet is a waste reservoir.

18. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 14, further including a fill tube connected to the inflatable member and a fill port on the end of the fill tube suitable for receiving transdermal injections of fluid, wherein the pressurized fluid reservoir is connected to the fill tube.

19. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pressurized fluid reservoir is located on the gastric band.

20. The gastric banding apparatus of claim 14, further including a measuring device for measuring fluid flow through the inlet valve.