REMOTELY ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BANDING SYSTEM

• US 20110306824A1
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ReShape LifeSciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Allergan, Inc. (Canada) (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: SNOW, Sean, PERRON, Christian Y., AUGARTEN, Mike, HOYT, Robert Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0056 using injection ports

Abstract

An implantable system comprises a housing that includes a flexible reservoir. The flexible reservoir is coupled to an inflatable portion of a gastric band via a fluid inlet/outlet. The flexible reservoir contains a fluid and has an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration. An access port may be coupled to the flexible reservoir and/or the gastric band to facilitate filling and draining the reservoir and/or the gastric band. A movable wall is slidably positioned around the flexible reservoir to move the flexible reservoir between the expanded configuration and the contracted configuration to move the fluid into and out of the inflatable portion of the gastric band. A driving mechanism is positioned around the movable wall and is capable of changing the size of the movable wall to compress or expand the flexible reservoir. A motor, coupled to the driving mechanism, may actuate the driving mechanism.

Claims

1. An implantable system for use in a gastric band system comprising:

a housing having a fluid inlet/outlet;

a flexible reservoir positioned within the housing and coupled to an inflatable portion of a gastric band via the fluid inlet/outlet, the flexible reservoir containing a fluid and having an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration;

a movable wall slidably positioned around the flexible reservoir forming a cylinder, the movable wall being movable to change a diameter of the cylinder;

a driving mechanism positioned around the movable wall, the driving mechanism configured to change the diameter of the cylinder to compress the flexible reservoir from the expanded configuration to the contracted configuration, thereby causing a portion of the fluid in the flexible reservoir to move to the inflatable portion of the gastric band; and

a motor, coupled to the driving mechanism, the motor capable of actuating the driving mechanism.

2. The implantable system of claim 1 wherein the driving mechanism comprises a flexible screw.

3. The implantable system of claim 2 wherein the movable wall has a first end and a second end.

4. The implantable system of claim 3 wherein the first end of the movable wall and the second end of the movable wall are freely movable within the housing.

5. The implantable system of claim 4 wherein an end of the flexible screw is attached to the housing.

6. The implantable system of claim 3 wherein the first end of the movable wall is attached to the housing and wherein the second end of the movable wall is attached to the flexible screw.

7. The implantable system of claim 1 wherein the flexible reservoir is selected from a group consisting of a compressible pouch, an elastic polymer, a balloon, a rubber container, a silicon container, and combinations thereof.

8. The implantable system of claim 1 wherein the flexible reservoir is formed in a shape selected from a group consisting of a donut, a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, and combinations thereof.

9. The implantable system of claim 1 further comprising a compressible structure positioned within the flexible reservoir for stabilizing boundaries of the flexible reservoir.

10. The implantable system of claim 9 wherein the compressible structure is selected from a group consisting of a tube, a sponge material, a synthetic material, a flexible material, and combinations thereof.

11. The implantable system of claim 1 further comprising an internal structure disposed in the flexible reservoir, the internal structure comprising a pressure sensor for sensing a pressure in the flexible reservoir.

12. The implantable system of claim 1 wherein the motor is coupled to a sensing coil unit that communicates via radio frequency with an external controller for providing power and communications to the motor.

13. The implantable system of claim 1 further comprising a flow control device coupled to the fluid inlet/outlet for controlling movement of the fluid when filling the inflatable portion of the gastric band.

14. The implantable system of claim 13 wherein the flow control device is selected from a group consisting of a valve, a tube, a regulator, and combinations thereof.

15. The implantable system of claim 1 wherein the fluid is selected from a group consisting of a drug, a saline solution, and combinations thereof.

16. The implantable system of claim 1 wherein the motor moves the driving mechanism by rotational movement or translational movement.

17. The implantable system of claim 1 further comprising a spring positioned around the movable wall.

18. The implantable system of claim 17 wherein the spring is selected from a group consisting of an elastic spring, a polymer spring, a stretchable spring, a coplanar spring, a sheath spring, an enclosing spring, and combinations thereof.

19. The implantable system of claim 1 further comprising an access port coupled to the fluid inlet/outlet of the flexible reservoir for filling or draining the flexible reservoir or the inflatable portion of the gastric band.

20. The implantable system of claim 19 wherein the access port and the fluid inlet/outlet are on a same side of the housing.

21. The implantable device of claim 19 wherein the access port and the fluid inlet/outlet are on different sides of the housing.

22. An implantable system for use in a gastric band system comprising:

a gastric band having an inflatable portion;

a reservoir housing having a first fluid inlet/outlet coupled to the inflatable portion of the gastric band;

a flexible reservoir positioned within the reservoir housing and coupled to the inflatable portion of a gastric band via the first fluid inlet/outlet, the flexible reservoir containing a fluid and having an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration;

a movable wall slidably positioned around the flexible reservoir forming a cylinder, the movable wall being movable to change a diameter of the cylinder, the movable wall having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second overlapping at a first position and a second position;

a flexible screw positioned around the movable wall, the flexible screw configured to change the diameter of the cylinder to compress the flexible reservoir from the expanded configuration to the contracted configuration or to expand the flexible reservoir from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration, thereby causing a portion of the fluid to move into or out of the inflatable portion of the gastric band, wherein an end of the flexible screw is attached to the first end of the movable wall, and wherein the second end of the movable wall is attached to the reservoir housing;

a motor, coupled to the flexible screw, the motor capable of actuating the flexible screw, wherein the motor is disposed in a motor housing capable of receiving a portion of the flexible screw;

a receiving coil unit for receiving radio frequency signals from an external controller, the receiving coil unit coupled to the motor via a wire to facilitate moving the flexible screw and the movable wall; and

an access port coupled to the flexible reservoir via a second fluid inlet/outlet, the access port comprising a needle-penetrable septum for receiving additional fluid via a subcutaneous injection.

23. A reservoir unit for filling and draining an inflatable portion of a gastric band, the reservoir unit comprising:

a housing coupled to the inflatable portion of the gastric band and coupled to an access port;

a flexible pouch containing a fluid for filling the inflatable portion of the gastric band via flexible tubing coupled between the housing and the inflatable portion of the gastric band, the flexible pouch having an expanded position and a contracted position;

a movable wall disposed around the flexible pouch for moving the flexible pouch between the expanded position and the contracted position;

a flexible member having a screw portion and a portion connected to an end of the movable wall; and

a motor coupled to the screw portion of the flexible member for moving the flexible member and the movable wall, to move the flexible pouch between the expanded position and the contracted position.

24. The reservoir unit of claim 23 further comprising a sensing coil disposed in the housing.

25. The reservoir unit of claim 23, wherein the access port is disposed in the housing.