HYDRAULIC GASTRIC BAND WITH COLLAPSIBLE RESERVOIR

• US 20100324358A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apollo Endosurgery US, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allergan, Inc. (Canada) (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Birk, Janel A., Franklin, Ethan
• Granted Patent: US 8,308,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1355 Automated control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• 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 5/0053 remotely adjustable

Abstract

A self-regulating gastric band apparatus for adjusting stoma size. The apparatus includes an adjustable gastric band that has an inner ring expanding with injected fluid. A band adjustment assembly is provided for implanting with the gastric band that includes a sensor for sensing fluid pressure in the inner ring. The band adjustment assembly further includes a pump assembly connected to the expandable inner ring and to a controller that can operate the pump assembly to adjust the volume of the fluid in the band based on the sensed fluid pressure. The band adjustment assembly includes memory storing an operating range relative to a target fluid pressure, and the pump assembly is operated to maintain the sensed band pressure within the operating range. The target pressure being set to maintain pressure variations below a predefined variation limit generally corresponding with satiated fill volumes for a particular patient and implanted band. An elongated fluid reservoir may extend along a substantial part of a fill tube. A balloon-like expandable fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the pump assembly may store a volume of the fluid for adjusting the volume of fluid in the lumen. A protective outer sheath may be provided around the exterior of an expandable fluid reservoir in both a first, deflated state, and a second, inflated state of the reservoir.

Claims

1. An implantable adjustable gastric band assembly for placement in a patient, comprising:

a gastric band having a fluid-inflatable member with an internal lumen disposed around an inner periphery thereof;

a pump assembly connected to the lumen;

a controller for operating the pump assembly to adjust a volume of the fluid in the lumen; and

an expandable fluid reservoir having a balloon-like structure for storing a volume of fluid for use in adjusting the volume of fluid in the lumen, the fluid reservoir being in fluid communication with the pump assembly.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir is a separate device from the gastric band.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir is part of the gastric band.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the fluid reservoir is formed as an outer lumen of the gastric band.

5. The assembly of claim 1, further including an access port leading to a fill tube through which fluid can flow into the internal lumen of the inflatable member of the gastric band, wherein the fluid reservoir is provided along the fill tube.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the fluid reservoir is an elongated balloon placed along the fill tube.

7. The assembly of claim 6, further including a protective sheath that collapses around the fluid reservoir and expands therewith to provide protection against damage.

8. An implantable adjustable gastric band assembly for placement in a patient, comprising:

a gastric band having a fluid-inflatable member with an internal lumen disposed around an inner periphery thereof;

a fill tube in fluid communication with the internal lumen and extending from the fluid-inflatable member to a fill port; and

an elongated fluid reservoir extending along a substantial part of the fill tube for storing a volume of fluid and being in selective fluid communication with the internal lumen of the gastric band.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the fluid reservoir is expandable.

10. The assembly of claim 9, further including a protective sheath that collapses around the fluid reservoir and expands therewith to provide protection against damage.

11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the fluid reservoir and fill tube are co-extruded.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the fluid reservoir is expandable and the reservoir and fill tube are co-extruded and the reservoir collapses around at least a portion of the fill tube in a first, deflated state and expands to be substantially adjacent the fill tube in a second, inflated state of the reservoir.

13. The assembly of claim 8, further including:

a sensor for taking pressure readings of fluid in the internal lumen of fluid-inflatable member of the gastric band;

a pump assembly connected to the lumen; and

a controller for operating the pump assembly to adjust a volume of the fluid in the lumen based on the pressure readings and a target pressure for the gastric band.

14. The assembly of claim 11, further including a pressure adjusting module for processing the pressure readings and setting the target pressure.

15. An implantable adjustable gastric band assembly for placement in a patient, comprising:

a gastric band having a fluid-inflatable member with an internal lumen disposed around an inner periphery thereof; and

an expandable fluid reservoir having a balloon-like structure for storing a volume of the fluid for use in adjusting the volume of fluid in the lumen, the fluid reservoir having a protective outer sheath that remains around the exterior of an expandable portion in both a first, deflated state, and a second, inflated state of the reservoir.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the fluid reservoir is formed around the gastric band.

17. The assembly of claim 15, further including an access port leading to a fill tube through which fluid can flow into the internal lumen of the inflatable member of the gastric band, wherein the fluid reservoir is provided along the fill tube.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the fluid reservoir and the fill tube are coextruded and the reservoir collapses around at least a portion of the fill tube in a first, deflated state and expands to be substantially adjacent the fill tube in a second, inflated state of the reservoir.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the protective sheath, fluid reservoir and fill tube are co-extruded.

20. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the protective sheath is a split tube attached to the fluid reservoir/fill tube co-extrusion and is biased into a compact configuration around the fluid reservoir/fill tube in the first, deflated state of the reservoir, and spreads open while still surrounding the reservoir in the second, inflated state of the reservoir.