FLOW RESTRICTOR AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING PRESSURE FOR A GASTRIC BAND
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A gastric band assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of elastic bladders connected serially by flexible tubing and in fluid communication with a balloon attached to a gastric band;
a refill port in fluid communication with the bladders;
each of the elastic bladders being in fluid communication via the flexible tubing and in fluid communication with the balloon portion; and
a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the bladders and the balloon so that high pressure fluid surges cause the flow restrictor to block fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bladder assembly is provided in order to maintain the pressure in the balloon portion of a gastric band in a range corresponding to a so-called Green Zone. Multiple bladders are connected by flexible tubing which is connected at a distal end to the balloon portion of a gastric band. The elastically expandable bladders provide fluid pressure on the balloon portion of the gastric band in order to maintain the intra-luminal pressure within a desired range over a prescribed fill volume. A flow restrictor is positioned between the balloon portion and the bladders to restrict fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders during patient swallowing.
12 Citations
58 Claims
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1. A gastric band assembly, comprising:
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a plurality of elastic bladders connected serially by flexible tubing and in fluid communication with a balloon attached to a gastric band; a refill port in fluid communication with the bladders; each of the elastic bladders being in fluid communication via the flexible tubing and in fluid communication with the balloon portion; and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the bladders and the balloon so that high pressure fluid surges cause the flow restrictor to block fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A gastric band assembly, comprising:
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a gastric band having a balloon and being in a fluid communication with a refill port; a bladder assembly having a plurality of bladders connected together with flexible tubing so that the bladders are in fluid communication with each other and with the balloon and refill port; the bladder assembly connected to the gastric band and refill port by flexible tubing so that fluid can pass to or from the refill port, through the bladders, and to or from the balloon on the gastric band; each of the bladders having a specific compliance and being elastically expandable; wherein fluid in the bladders flows into or out of the gastric band balloon automatically and autonomously in response to changes in pressure imparted to the balloon by tissue in contact with the balloon in order to better maintain intra-band pressure and therefore intra-luminal pressure in a prescribed range over a range volumes than without the bladders; and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the balloon and bladders, the flow restrictor configured to block fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders in response to a high pressure wave in the balloon. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A gastric band assembly, comprising:
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a gastric band having a balloon and being in a fluid communication with a refill port; a bladder assembly having a plurality of bladders connected together with flexible tubing so that the bladders are in fluid communication with each other; the bladder assembly connected to the gastric band and refill port by flexible tubing so that fluid can pass to or from the refill port, through the bladders, and to or from the balloon on the gastric band; each of the bladders having a specific compliance and being elastically expandable; wherein as fluid is injected into the refill port, the fluid flows through the elastically expandable bladders, and into the gastric band balloon to maintain intra-band pressure as set by the physician; and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the balloon and bladders, the flow restrictor configured to block fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders in response to a rapid and transient rise in intra-luminal pressure or intra-band pressure. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A gastric band assembly, comprising:
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a gastric band having a balloon and being in a fluid communication with a refill port; a bladder assembly having a plurality of bladders connected together with flexible tubing so that the bladders are in fluid communication with each other and with the balloon and refill port; the bladder assembly connected to the gastric band and refill port by flexible tubing so that fluid can pass to or from the refill port, through the bladders, and to or from the balloon on the gastric band; each of the bladders having a specific compliance and being elastically expandable; wherein fluid in the bladders flows into or out of the gastric band balloon automatically and autonomously in response to changes in pressure imparted to the balloon by tissue in contact with the balloon in order to better maintain intra-band pressure and therefore intra-luminal pressure in a prescribed range over a range of volumes than without the bladders; and a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the balloon and bladders, the flow restrictor having a main flow channel and a bypass flow channel wherein fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders being blocked in the main flow channel of the flow restrictor in response to a high pressure wave in the balloon while fluid flows through the bypass channel of the flow restrictor and is never blocked. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A gastric band assembly, comprising:
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a plurality of elastic bladders connected serially by flexible tubing and in fluid communication with a balloon attached to a gastric band; a refill port in fluid communication with the bladders; a flow restrictor positioned between and in fluid communication with the bladders and the balloon so that fluid pressure surges cause the flow restrictor to impede fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders while fluid flow from the bladders to the balloon remains unimpeded. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification