HYDRAULIC GASTRIC BAND WITH REVERSIBLE SELF-OPENING MECHANISM
First Claim
1. A system for constricting a stomach of a patient for treating obesity, the system comprising:
- a gastric band having an inflatable member configured to contain fluid and apply constriction to a portion of a gastric lumen of the stomach, the inflatable member being moveable from a constricted state to a passage state for allowing an obstruction to pass through the portion of the gastric lumen, the passage state being when less fluid is contained in the inflatable member than in the constricted state;
a valve configured to move from a closed position to an open position when a pressure of the fluid from the inflatable member increases over a threshold in response to the obstruction passing through the gastric lumen, and to allow the fluid from the inflatable member to pass through the valve at a first flow rate;
a reservoir configured to receive the fluid passed through the valve, allowing the inflatable member to move from the constricted state to the passage state, and allowing the obstruction to pass through the portion of the gastric lumen; and
a flow restriction device configured to allow the fluid received by the reservoir to pass from the reservoir to the inflatable member at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, allowing the inflatable member to return to the constricted state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides for a gastric banding system including an adjustment system that automatically increases the size of a constricted portion of a gastric lumen in response to an obstruction passing through the gastric lumen. The size of the constricted portion of the gastric lumen increases rapidly when the obstruction approaches a gastric band constricting the lumen. The adjustment system is also configured to slowly return the constricted gastric lumen to an equilibrium size the lumen had prior to the obstruction passing through the lumen. Various embodiments of gastric banding systems and adjustment systems are disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for constricting a stomach of a patient for treating obesity, the system comprising:
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a gastric band having an inflatable member configured to contain fluid and apply constriction to a portion of a gastric lumen of the stomach, the inflatable member being moveable from a constricted state to a passage state for allowing an obstruction to pass through the portion of the gastric lumen, the passage state being when less fluid is contained in the inflatable member than in the constricted state; a valve configured to move from a closed position to an open position when a pressure of the fluid from the inflatable member increases over a threshold in response to the obstruction passing through the gastric lumen, and to allow the fluid from the inflatable member to pass through the valve at a first flow rate; a reservoir configured to receive the fluid passed through the valve, allowing the inflatable member to move from the constricted state to the passage state, and allowing the obstruction to pass through the portion of the gastric lumen; and a flow restriction device configured to allow the fluid received by the reservoir to pass from the reservoir to the inflatable member at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, allowing the inflatable member to return to the constricted state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for constricting a stomach of a patient for treating obesity, the system comprising:
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a gastric band having an inflatable member configured to contain fluid and apply constriction to a portion of a gastric lumen of the stomach, the inflatable member being moveable from a constricted state to a passage state for allowing an obstruction to pass through the portion of the gastric lumen, the passage state being when less fluid is contained in the inflatable member than in the constricted state; a valve configured to move from a closed position to an open position when a pressure of the fluid in the inflatable member increases over a threshold in response to the obstruction passing through the gastric lumen, the valve in the open position allowing fluid to pass through the valve at a first flow rate; a reservoir configured to receive fluid when the valve is in the open position, causing the inflatable member to move from the constricted state to the passage state, and allowing the obstruction to pass through the portion of the gastric lumen; and a flow restriction device configured to pass fluid through the flow restriction device at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, allowing the inflatable member to return to the constricted state from the passage state.
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Specification