GASTRIC BAND WITH ELECTRIC STIMULATION

• US 20110054248A1
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allergan, Inc. (Canada) (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Snow, Sean, Birk, Janel A.
• Application Number:
  US12/853,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054248A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0026 Anti-eating devices using electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/005 Gastric bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0056 using injection ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0063 wrapping the stomach

Abstract

A gastric band system including a functional electrical stimulation component is provided. Stimulation electrodes on the gastric band may be used to stimulate the vagal nerve and/or splanchnic nerve, which can inhibit the patient'"'"'s appetite. The gastric band may have an inflatable member for adjusting a stoma size. The stimulation electrodes may be mounted on the inflatable member. The system may include a controller including a pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure within the inflatable inner member and for controlling the stimulation component.

Claims

1. A gastric band system with electrical stimulation, comprising:

an implantable gastric band having a stimulation electrode on an inner circumference;

an implantable controller including a power source and circuitry for sending electrical pulses to the stimulation electrode;

a flexible cord extending from the gastric band to the controller enclosing electric wires connecting the stimulation electrode to the controller; and

a fluid conduit in communication between the inflatable inner member and an implanted reservoir, the fluid conduit extending parallel to and connected with the flexible cord.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gastric band further includes an adjustable circumference.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the gastric band has an inflatable inner member on which the stimulation electrode mounts.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes an electrode that acts as the return electrode for the stimulation electrode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes one or more sensors to obtain physiological information and feed it to the circuitry for operating either a gastric band size adjustment and/or the stimulation electrode.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the gastric band has an inflatable inner member on which the stimulation electrode mounts, and the one or more sensors includes a pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure within the inflatable inner member.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable gastric band has an inflatable inner member with an uneven inner circumference having inwardly-directed troughs and peaks on which are mounted a series of the stimulation electrodes in the troughs.

8. A gastric band system with electrical stimulation, comprising:

an implantable gastric band having a stimulation electrode mounted on an inflatable inner member;

an implantable reservoir;

an implantable controller including a power source and circuitry for sending electrical pulses to the stimulation electrode;

a fluid conduit in communication between the inflatable inner member and the implanted reservoir, the fluid conduit extending along a flexible cord, and electric leads extending in parallel along the flexible cord connecting the stimulation electrode to the controller; and

one or more sensors to obtain physiological information and feed it to the circuitry for operating either a gastric band inner member size adjustment and/or the stimulation electrode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the gastric band has and the one or more sensors includes a pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure within the inflatable inner member.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller includes an electrode that acts as the return electrode for the stimulation electrode.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the system includes one or more sensors to obtain physiological information and feed it to the circuitry for operating either the gastric band inner member size adjustment and/or the stimulation electrode.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors includes a pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure within the inflatable inner member.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the inflatable inner member has an uneven inner circumference with inwardly-directed troughs and peaks on which are mounted a series of the stimulation electrodes in the troughs.

14. A gastric band system with electrical stimulation, comprising:

an implantable gastric band having an inflatable inner member with an uneven inner circumference having inwardly-directed troughs and peaks on which are mounted a series of stimulation electrodes in the troughs; and

an implantable controller including a power source and circuitry for sending electrical pulses to the stimulation electrodes.

15. The system of claim 14, further including an implantable reservoir and a fluid conduit in communication between the inflatable inner member and the implanted reservoir, wherein the inflatable inner member has an adjustable circumference.

16. The system of claim 15, further including electric leads within a flexible cord connecting the stimulation electrodes to the controller, and wherein the fluid conduit extends parallel to and connected with the flexible cord.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller includes an electrode that acts as the return electrode for the stimulation electrodes.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the system includes one or more sensors to obtain physiological information and feed it to the circuitry for operating the stimulation electrodes.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors includes a pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure within the inflatable inner member.