SELF-ADJUSTING GASTRIC BAND

• US 20120088962A1
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ReShape LifeSciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Allergan Incorporated (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Franklin, Ethan, Snow, Sean, Torjesen, Erik, Schwab, Justin J., Dominguez, Zachary P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,044,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0056 using injection ports

Abstract

Generally described herein are automatic, self-adjusting, gastric banding systems and improvements thereof, that are capable of automatically relaxing and contracting in response to a large bolus passing through the area of a patient'"'"'s stomach constricted by a gastric band. Alternatively, and/or in addition in one or more embodiments, the gastric banding systems described herein may also help prevent pouch dilatation and/or erosion. The apparatus and systems described herein aid in facilitating obesity control and/or treating obesity-related diseases while generally being non-invasive once implanted. Furthermore, certain embodiments of the self-adjusting gastric banding systems disclosed herein are automatically adjustable without complicated fluid control mechanisms, flow rate limiting devices, and/or valves. The automatic adjustments may also be made in response to other changes in the patient'"'"'s esophageal-gastric junction, for example, in response to size, shape, and or location changes.

Claims

1. A self-adjusting gastric band system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to allow a bolus to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach, the self-adjusting gastric band system comprising:

a gastric band having an inner portion, an outer portion, and an inflatable portion, the inner portion configured to be placed around a portion of the patient'"'"'s stomach to thereby create the constriction in the patient'"'"'s stomach;

a ring attached to the outer portion of the gastric band, the ring having a plurality of segmented portions, wherein each segmented portion includes an aperture;

an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion of the gastric band to fill and drain a fluid into or out of the inflatable portion; and

a compliant reservoir fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the compliant reservoir capable of relaxing the constriction formed in the stomach by the gastric band by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion thereby allowing the bolus to pass through the relaxed constriction.

2. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 1 wherein the aperture is diamond-shaped.

3. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 2 wherein the segmented portions are inwardly-tapered.

4. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 1 wherein the ring further comprises:

a belt attached to a first end of the ring; and

a buckle attached to the second end of the ring configured to receive and secure the belt.

5. A self-adjusting gastric band system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to allow a bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach, the self-adjusting gastric band system comprising:

a gastric band having an inflatable portion and configured to be positioned around a portion of the patient'"'"'s stomach;

a ring attached to the inflatable portion and having a belt attached to a first end of the ring and a buckle attached to the second end of the ring and configured to receive and secure the belt, the ring having a tapered band positioned between the belt and the buckle;

an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion of the gastric band to fill and drain the inflatable portion; and

a compliant reservoir fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the gastric band and allowing the bolus of food to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion.

6. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 5 wherein the tapered band is thinner than the belt.

7. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 5 wherein the tapered band is thinner than the buckle.

8. A self-adjusting gastric band system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to allow a bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach, the self-adjusting gastric band system comprising:

a compliant inner tubing having a length and a diameter and configured to be filled with a fluid;

an outer shell disposed about the length of the compliant inner tubing and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the compliant inner tubing; and

a compressible material completely filling a space between an outside surface of the compliant inner tubing and an inner surface of the outer shell.

9. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 8 wherein the compressible material is gel, foam, plastic or combinations thereof.

10. A self-adjusting gastric band system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to allow a bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach, the self-adjusting gastric band system comprising:

a gastric band having an inflatable portion and positioned around a portion of the patient'"'"'s stomach; and

a ring attached to the inflatable portion along an outer surface of the inflatable portion, the ring including a damping mechanism configured to resist displacement when a load greater than a predetermined threshold is applied, and to not resist displacement when a load less than a predetermined threshold is applied.

11. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 10 wherein the damping mechanism is a chamber filled with fluid and having a rod located therein.

12. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 10 wherein the damping mechanism include dual-connected pistons.

13. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 10 wherein the damping mechanism includes a plurality of displacing chambers filled with a fluid.

14. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 10 wherein the damping mechanism includes an interlaced leaf.

15. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 10 wherein the damping mechanism is single piston.

16. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 10 further comprising a force limit device configured to release when the ring is under a load greater than a predetermined threshold.

17. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 16 wherein the force limit device is configured to reattach from a released position when the load is reduced below the predetermined threshold.

18. A self-adjusting gastric band system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to allow a bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach, the self-adjusting gastric band system comprising:

a gastric band having an inflatable portion positioned around a portion of the patient'"'"'s stomach;

a ring attached to the inflatable portion;

a stretch limiter configured contact the ring to limit the expansion of the inflatable portion;

an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion to fill and drain the inflatable portion; and

a compliant reservoir fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the gastric band and allowing the bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion.

19. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 18 wherein the stretch limiter is located between the ring and a protective capsule.

20. The self-adjusting gastric band of system claim 18 further comprising a limiter guide attached to an exterior of the ring, the limiter guide configured to protrude through an opening of the stretch limiter.

21. The self-adjusting gastric band system of claim 18 wherein the stretch limiter is configured to ensure that the inflatable portion is limited to expansion up to an inner boundary of the ring.