SELF-ADJUSTING GASTRIC BAND
First Claim
1. A self-adjusting gastric banding system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to allow a bolus to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric banding system, the self-adjusting gastric banding system comprising:
- a gastric band having an inflatable portion disposed about the stomach of the patient, the inflatable portion capable of constricting the stomach;
an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion, the access port capable of receiving a fluid to inflate, or for removing a fluid to deflate, the inflatable portion of the gastric band;
a tubing coupled to the gastric band and the access port, the tubing carrying fluid between the inflatable portion of the gastric band and the access port; and
a compliant reservoir attached to at least a portion of the tubing and configured to receive fluid from the inflatable portion of the gastric band for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the inflatable portion of the gastric band sufficiently to allow the bolus to pass through the constriction.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A self-adjusting gastric banding system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to allow a bolus to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric banding system, the self-adjusting gastric banding system comprising:
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a gastric band having an inflatable portion disposed about the stomach of the patient, the inflatable portion capable of constricting the stomach; an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion, the access port capable of receiving a fluid to inflate, or for removing a fluid to deflate, the inflatable portion of the gastric band; a tubing coupled to the gastric band and the access port, the tubing carrying fluid between the inflatable portion of the gastric band and the access port; and a compliant reservoir attached to at least a portion of the tubing and configured to receive fluid from the inflatable portion of the gastric band for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the inflatable portion of the gastric band sufficiently to allow the bolus to pass through the constriction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion to fill and drain the inflatable portion; a tubing coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the tubing for carrying fluid between the inflatable portion and the access port; and a compliant reservoir coupled to the access port at a first end and being closed at a second end, the compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable member configured to inflate when fluid is introduced into the inflatable member and deflate when fluid is removed from the inflatable member, the inflatable member configured to be situated about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion to inflate and deflate the inflatable portion; and a plurality of compliant reservoirs radially oriented about the inflatable portion, and fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the plurality of compliant reservoirs for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion.
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22. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient, the inflatable portion configured to be filled with a pseudoplastic fluid or a Bingham plastic; an access port coupled to the inflatable portion to fill and drain the inflatable portion of the pseudoplastic fluid or the Bingham plastic; and a compliant reservoir coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving the pseudoplastic fluid or the Bingham plastic from the inflatable portion.
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23. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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a plurality of closed constriction portions disposed about an esophageal-gastric junction for contacting and restricting the patient'"'"'s stomach; and a support structure attached to the plurality of closed constriction portions, the support structure including alternating ring portions and hinge portions, each ring portion contacting a different one of the plurality of closed constriction portions, each hinge portion separating adjacent ring portions, and configured to flex to allow the large bolus to pass through the constriction. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A gas-impermeable self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the gas-impermeable self-adjusting gastric band, the gas-impermeable self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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a gas-impermeable inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; a gas-impermeable access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion to fill and drain the gas-impermeable inflatable portion; and a gas-impermeable compliant reservoir fluidly coupled to the gas-impermeable inflatable portion and the gas-impermeable access port, the gas-impermeable compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving gas from the gas-impermeable inflatable portion. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; a reservoir fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving both fluid and gas from the inflatable portion; and an encapsulated gas-filled member configured to move from the inflatable portion to the reservoir in response to a pressure created by the large bolus passing through the constriction, the encapsulated gas-filled member further configured to move from the reservoir to the inflatable portion in response to a reduction of pressure when the large bolus has passed through the constriction. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion to fill and drain the inflatable portion; a reservoir fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion; and a gas spring located within the reservoir, the gas spring having a housing and a piston, the gas spring configured to move the piston within the housing in a direction away from the inflatable portion and compress a gas sealed between the inside walls of the housing and the piston in response to a pressure created by the large bolus. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; and an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion to fill and drain the inflatable portion, the access port further configured to be a compliant member for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion to fill and drain the inflatable portion; a compliant reservoir fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the compliant reservoir for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion; and a restriction device for controlling a fluid flow rate between the inflatable portion and the compliant reservoir, the restriction device configured to temporarily increase the band-side pressure when a large bolus passes through the constriction. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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47. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient for automatically relaxing the constriction formed by the self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction, the inflatable portion having a first end and a separate second end; and a ring about the inflatable portion, the ring constructed out of metal and having a spring rate that provides a substantially constant force on the esophageal-gastric junction of the patient where the inflatable portion is disposed, the ring further configured to flex open to allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient, the inflatable portion having a first component for restricting and stimulating the esophageal-gastric junction, and a second component for dilation prevention, the second component attached to the first component in an orad direction, the second component increasing in diameter in the orad direction; and a ring about the inflatable portion, the ring having a first component corresponding with the first component of the inflatable portion and a second component corresponding with the second component of the inflatable portion, the second component of the ring attached to the first component of the ring in an orad direction, the second component increasing in diameter in the orad direction. - View Dependent Claims (50)
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51. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient, the inflatable portion independent from a ring portion and structural support for the inflatable portion solely dependent on 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 self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion.
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52. A self-adjusting gastric band that adjusts to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the self-adjusting gastric band, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
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an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient; a ring attached to the inflatable portion, the ring having a plurality of indented portions along a length of the ring; 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 self-adjusting gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction by receiving fluid from the inflatable portion. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
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55. A vacuum device configured to assist a patient in transferring fluid from a gastric band to a fluidly coupled reservoir to allow a large bolus of food to pass through a constriction in a patient'"'"'s stomach formed by the gastric band, the vacuum device comprising:
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a body having a suction-creating component; and a tip attached to the body, the tip configured to have a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the reservoir, the tip configured to contact an area on an outer surface of the patient'"'"'s body proximate to the location of the reservoir and form a seal on the contacted area to pull on skin of the patient and a subcutaneous fat layer located below the skin to induce fluid to flow from the gastric band to the reservoir.
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Specification