SOURCE RESERVOIR WITH POTENTIAL ENERGY FOR REMOTELY ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BANDING SYSTEM

• US 20110208229A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apollo Endosurgery US, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allergan Incorporated (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Augarten, Mike, Perron, Christian, Raven, Joseph, SNOW, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 8,758,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/045 Stomach, intestines
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/003 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0043 using injection ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0046 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/005 Gastric bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0056 using injection ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0059 with wireless means

Abstract

The present invention includes a source reservoir with potential energy for a system for facilitating obesity control. The system includes a remote transmitter, a gastric band including at least one inflatable portion for containing a fluid, at least one reservoir for containing the fluid, and a high precision pump unit in communication with the reservoir for controlling pressure within the inflatable portion.

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 source reservoir for holding the fluid, the source reservoir having an elastic shell capable of contracting due to a first inward pressure; and

a source valve coupled between the source reservoir and the gastric band, the source valve being open or closed based on a first telemetric signal received from a remote transmitter, and when the source valve is open, the first inward pressure causes the elastic shell to contract causing a portion of the fluid in the source reservoir to move into the inflatable portion of the gastric band, and when the source valve is closed, the fluid does not move outside the source reservoir.

2. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising an elastic band positioned around at least a portion of the source reservoir for providing a second inward pressure on the source reservoir to compress the source reservoir.

3. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising an elastic net positioned around at least a portion of the source reservoir for providing a second inward pressure on the source reservoir to compress the source reservoir.

4. The implantable device of claim 1 wherein the source reservoir is selected from a group consisting of an elastic polymer, a balloon, a rubber container, a non-rubber container, a silicon container, a non-silicon container, and combinations thereof.

5. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising a protective shell positioned around the source reservoir.

6. The implantable device of claim 5 wherein the protective shell is made of a material selected from a group consisting of an elastic polymer, a soft material, a hard material, a flexible material, a rigid material, a biocompatible material and combinations thereof.

7. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising a drain valve coupled to the inflatable portion of the gastric band, the drain valve being open or closed based on a second telemetric signal received from the remote transmitter, and when the drain valve is open and the source valve is closed, a portion of the fluid in the inflatable portion of the gastric band moves into a body of a human.

8. The implantable device of claim 1 wherein the remote transmitter transmits the first telemetric signal to the source valve, the first telemetric signal having data to control the opening or closing of the source valve.

9. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising:

a drain reservoir for storing the fluid and having a plurality of pore size holes to allow for the slow release of the fluid into a body of a human; and

a drain valve coupled to the inflatable portion of the gastric band, the drain valve being open or closed based on a second telemetric signal received from the remote transmitter, and when,the drain valve is open and the source valve is closed, a portion of the fluid in the inflatable portion of the gastric band moves into the drain reservoir.

10. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising:

a drain reservoir for storing the fluid; and

a drain valve coupled to the inflatable portion of the gastric band, the drain valve being open or closed based on a second telemetric signal received from the remote transmitter, and when the drain valve is open and the source valve is closed, a portion of the fluid in the inflatable portion of the gastric band moves into the drain reservoir.

11. The implantable device of claim 10 wherein the drain reservoir is selected from a group consisting of an elastic polymer, a balloon, a rubber container, a non-rubber container, a silicon container, a non-silicon container, and combinations thereof.

12. The implantable device of claim 10 wherein the drain valve is selected from a group consisting of an electrically operated valve, a piezoelectric valve, a solenoid valve, and combinations thereof.

13. The implantable device of claim 10 wherein the remote transmitter transmits the second telemetric signal to the drain valve, the second telemetric signal having data to control the opening or closing of the drain valve.

14. The implantable device of claim 1 wherein the first inward pressure is greater than an atmospheric pressure.

15. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising a flow sensor, coupled to the source valve, for determining and adjusting an amount of the fluid present in the inflatable portion of the gastric band.

16. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising a pressure sensor, coupled to the source valve, for determining and adjusting a pressure of the fluid in the inflatable portion of the gastric band.

17. The implantable device of claim 1 wherein the source valve is selected from a group consisting of an electrically operated valve, a piezoelectric valve, a solenoid valve, and combinations thereof.

18. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising a battery for powering the source valve and the drain valve.

19. The implantable device of claim 1 wherein the fluid is an incompressible fluid.

20. The implantable device of claim 19 wherein the incompressible fluid is a saline solution or a biocompatible oil.

21. The implantable device of claim 1 wherein the source reservoir is formed in a shape selected from a group consisting of an oblong, a sphere, a cone, a cube, a cylinder, and combinations thereof.

22. The implantable device of claim 1 further comprising an override port for filling or draining the gastric band or the source reservoir.