REMOTELY ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BANDING SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An implantable device that uses potential energy to facilitate the movement of fluid to an inflatable portion of a gastric band, the implantable device comprising:
- a filling reservoir for holding the fluid;
a first device operatively coupled to the filling reservoir, wherein the first device comprises stored potential energy that facilitates moving an amount of the fluid to the inflatable portion of the gastric band; and
a filling valve coupled between the filling reservoir and the gastric band, the filling valve being open or closed based on a first telemetric signal received from a remote transmitter, and when the filling valve is open, a portion of the stored potential energy is released causing the amount of the fluid to move from the filling reservoir into the inflatable portion of the gastric band, and when the filling valve is closed, a remaining amount of the stored potential energy remains stored in the first device.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable device comprises a reservoir that contains a fluid for filling an inflatable portion of a gastric band. A device is coupled to the reservoir and includes stored potential energy having a first state and a second state. The first state represents a higher level of potential energy and the second state represents a lower level of potential energy. The implantable device further comprises a filling valve coupled between the reservoir and the gastric band, and the filling valve is configured to be opened in response to a first telemetric signal. The stored potential energy decreases from the first state to the second state when the filling valve is open, and a filling amount of the fluid moves from the reservoir to the gastric band when the stored potential energy decreases from the first state to the second state.
-
Citations
46 Claims
-
1. An implantable device that uses potential energy to facilitate the movement of fluid to an inflatable portion of a gastric band, the implantable device comprising:
-
a filling reservoir for holding the fluid; a first device operatively coupled to the filling reservoir, wherein the first device comprises stored potential energy that facilitates moving an amount of the fluid to the inflatable portion of the gastric band; and a filling valve coupled between the filling reservoir and the gastric band, the filling valve being open or closed based on a first telemetric signal received from a remote transmitter, and when the filling valve is open, a portion of the stored potential energy is released causing the amount of the fluid to move from the filling reservoir into the inflatable portion of the gastric band, and when the filling valve is closed, a remaining amount of the stored potential energy remains stored in the first device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. An implantable device, comprising:
-
a reservoir containing a fluid for filling an inflatable portion of a gastric band; a device coupled to the reservoir, wherein the device comprises stored potential energy having a first state and a second state, wherein the first state represents a higher level of potential energy and the second state represents a lower level of potential energy; and a filling valve coupled between the reservoir and the gastric band, wherein the filling valve is configured to be opened in response to a first telemetric signal, wherein the stored potential energy is configured to decrease from the first state to the second state in response to the filling valve being opened, and wherein a filling amount of the fluid is configured to be moved from the reservoir to the gastric band in response to the stored potential energy decreasing from the first state to the second state. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. A method for adjusting an inflatable gastric band of a gastric banding system, comprising:
-
opening a filling valve of the gastric banding system using a first telemetric signal; releasing an amount of stored potential energy in a device coupled to a filling reservoir of the gastric banding system; moving a filling amount of fluid from the filling reservoir to the inflatable gastric band in response to the releasing the amount of the stored potential energy; reading a flow meter using a second telemetric signal to determine the filling amount has been moved into the inflatable gastric band; and closing the filling valve using a third telemetric signal. - View Dependent Claims (29)
-
-
30. An implantable device that uses potential energy to facilitate the movement of fluid to an inflatable portion of a gastric band, the implantable device comprising:
-
a chamber comprising a reservoir for holding the fluid; a device positioned within the chamber and having stored potential energy to expand from a first size to a second size; and an gastric band inlet valve coupled between the reservoir and the gastric band, the gastric band inlet valve being open or closed based on a first telemetric signal received from a remote transmitter, and when the gastric band inlet valve is open, the stored potential energy is released causing the device to expand from the first size to the second size resulting in a portion of the fluid being removed from the reservoir and being moved into the inflatable portion of the gastric band, and when the gastric band inlet valve is closed, the device does not expand. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. An implantable device that uses potential energy to facilitate the movement of fluid to an inflatable portion of a gastric band, the implantable device comprising:
-
a filling reservoir for holding the fluid, wherein a volume of the filling reservoir is approximately 10 mL; a spring operatively coupled to the filling reservoir, wherein the spring comprises stored potential energy that facilitates moving an amount of the fluid to the inflatable portion of the gastric band; a filling valve coupled between the filling reservoir and the gastric band, the filling valve being open or closed based on a first telemetric signal received from a remote transmitter, and when the filling valve is open, a portion of the stored potential energy is released causing the amount of the fluid to move from the filling reservoir into the inflatable portion of the gastric band, and when the filling valve is closed, a remaining amount of the stored potential energy remains stored in the spring; a draining reservoir; a draining valve coupled between the draining reservoir and the gastric band, the draining valve being open or closed based on a second telemetric signal received from the remote transmitter, and when the draining valve is open, a portion of the fluid in the inflatable portion of the gastric band moves into the draining reservoir; a flow meter for determining the amount of the fluid moving into or out of the inflatable portion of the gastric band; a junction box comprising the filling valve, the draining valve, and the flow meter; a hermetically sealed chamber that includes the filling reservoir and the draining reservoir; and a piston disposed between the filling reservoir and the draining reservoir and between a filling end of the hermetically sealed chamber and a draining end of the hermetically sealed chamber, wherein the spring is coupled to the piston, wherein the filling valve is coupled to the filling end and the draining valve is coupled to the draining end, wherein the piston moves toward the filling end of the hermetically sealed chamber in response to the portion of the stored potential energy being released, and wherein the volume of the filling reservoir and the volume of the draining reservoir change as the piston moves in the hermetically sealed chamber. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. An implantable device that uses potential energy to facilitate the movement of fluid to an inflatable portion of a gastric band, the implantable device comprising:
-
a filling reservoir for holding the fluid; a spring operatively coupled to the filling reservoir, wherein the spring comprises stored potential energy that facilitates moving an amount of the fluid to the inflatable portion of the gastric band; a filling valve coupled between the filling reservoir and the gastric band, the filling valve being open or closed based on a first telemetric signal received from a remote transmitter, and when the filling valve is open, a portion of the stored potential energy is released causing the amount of the fluid to move from the filling reservoir into the inflatable portion of the gastric band, and when the filling valve is closed, a remaining amount of the stored potential energy remains stored in the spring; a filling chamber comprising the filling reservoir and a filling pressure section; a filling piston separating the filling reservoir and the filling pressure section; a draining chamber comprising the draining reservoir and a draining pressure section; a draining piston separating the draining reservoir and the draining pressure section; a pressure port connecting the filling chamber and the draining chamber, wherein the spring is operatively coupled to the filling piston, wherein the filling chamber is sealed such that the filling piston cannot move unless the filling valve is open, and when the filling valve is open, the filling piston moves from a first position to a second position in response to the portion of the stored potential energy being released, wherein the amount of the fluid includes a volume of the fluid displaced when the filling piston moves from the first position to the second position; a draining valve coupled between the draining reservoir and the gastric band, the draining valve being open or closed based on a second telemetric signal received from the remote transmitter, and when the draining valve is open, a portion of the fluid in the inflatable portion of the gastric band moves into the draining reservoir; a flow meter for determining the amount of the fluid moving into or out of the inflatable portion of the gastric band; a junction box comprising the filling valve, the draining valve, and the flow meter; and a fluid port for filling the filling reservoir with the fluid causing an increase in the stored potential energy of the spring. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. An implantable device that uses potential energy to facilitate the movement of fluid to an inflatable portion of a gastric band, the implantable device comprising:
-
a filling reservoir for holding the fluid; a junction box coupled to the filling reservoir; a flow meter disposed in the junction box, wherein the flow meter determines an amount of the fluid moving into or out of the inflatable portion of the gastric band; a filling peristaltic pump coupled to the filling reservoir and the flow meter, wherein the filling peristaltic pump is disposed in the junction box, the filling peristaltic pump comprising; a roller barrel configured to rotate, the roller barrel comprising a roller; a co-axial compression arc; a flexible tubing located between the roller barrel and the co-axial compression arc; a locking bar configured to abut the roller to prevent the roller barrel from rotating; an electromagnet that draws the locking bar away from the roller barrel and toward the electromagnet when the electromagnet is activated; a first spiral spring comprising first stored potential energy, the first spiral spring releasing a portion of the first stored potential to cause the roller barrel to rotate when the locking bar retracts from the roller barrel, wherein the roller facilitates moving the amount of the fluid to the inflatable portion of the gastric band; and a filling valve coupled between the filling reservoir and the gastric band, the filling valve being open or closed based on a first telemetric signal received from a remote transmitter, and when the filling valve is open, the portion of the first stored potential energy is released causing the amount of the fluid to move from the filling reservoir into the inflatable portion of the gastric band, and when the filling valve is closed, a remaining amount of the first stored potential energy remains stored in the first spiral spring; a draining reservoir; and a draining peristaltic pump coupled to the draining reservoir, the gastric band, and the flow meter, wherein the draining peristaltic pump is disposed in the junction box, the draining peristaltic pump comprising; a second spiral spring comprising second stored potential energy to facilitate moving a draining amount of fluid out of the gastric band; and a draining valve coupled between the draining reservoir and the gastric band, the draining valve being open or closed based on a second telemetric signal received from the remote transmitter, and when the draining valve is open, the draining amount of the fluid in the inflatable portion of the gastric band moves into the draining reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
-
Specification