APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REVERSIBLY CLOSING A NATURAL OR IMPLANTED BODY PASSAGE

• US 3,750,194 A
• Filed: 03/16/1971
• Issued: 08/07/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citicorp North America Inc (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: George D. Summers
• Inventors: Summers, George D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frinks, Ronald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/124,718
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1 128/346,35V,1R,DIG.25,DIG.21,348-350,327
• US Class Current: 623/23.66
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/004 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

An apparatus and method for reversibly closing a natural or implanted body passage which utilize an implantable fluid reservoir and a distensible member that is adapted to be connected to the natural or implanted body passage. An implantable pump is connected to the fluid reservoir and the distensible member for pumping fluid from the reservoir to the distensible member to distend the distensible member and cause the reversible closing of the natural or implanted body passage.

Claims

1. An implantable apparatus for reversibly closing a natural or implanted urethra comprising an implantable fluid reservoir, an implantable O-shaped distensible member, a funnel shaped member for assisting in keeping said distensible member in place when implanted connected to said distensible member, said funnel shaped member having a channel extending therethrough and being shaped to fit within the inlet to a urethra in a body, and implantable pumping means operatively connected to said fluid reservoir and said distensible member for pumping fluid from said reservoir to said distensible member to cause distension thereof to close said urethra and to pump fluid from said distensible member to cause deflation thereof to open said urethra.

2. A method for reversibly closing a natural or implanted body passage comprising the steps of:

implanting, in the body, an implantable fluid reservoir, implantable pumping means operatively connected to said implantable fluid reservoir, an implantable C-shaped distensible member operatively connected to said pumping means, a hoop member having two separable sections located around said distensible member, and means for fastening the ends of said two separable sections together and during such implantation separating the two separable sections of said hoop member, passing the ends of said C-shaped distensible member around said body passage, and connecting the ends of said two separable sections of said hoop member by said fastening means;

activating said pumping means to pump fluid from said implantable fluid reservoir to said C-shaped distensible member to cause distension thereof to reversibly close said body passage when it is desired to close said body passage; and

activating said pumping means to pump fluid from said distensible member to said implantable fluid reservoir to cause deflation of said distensible member to open said body passage when it is desired to open said body passage.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said implanting step further comprises implanting a cloth skirt attached to said hoop member and during such implantation connecting said cloth skirt to body tissue.

4. A method for reversibly closing a natural or implanted body passage comprising the steps of:

implanting, in the body, an implantable fluid reservoir, implantable pumping means operatively connected to said implantable fluid reservoir, and an implantable distensible member operatively connected to said pumping means and during such implantation, implanting said distensible member inside said body passage by surgically opening said body passage;

activating said pumping means to pump fluid from said implantable fluid reservoir to said distensible member to cause distension thereof to reversibly close said body passage when it is desired to close said body passage; and

activating said pumping means to pump fluid from saId distensible member to said implantable fluid reservoir to cause deflation of said distensible member to open said body passage when it is desired to open said body passage.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein implanting said implantable distensible member in said implantation step comprises implanting an O-shaped member.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said implanting step further comprises implanting means connected to said O-shaped distensible member for assisting in maintaining said distensible member in position inside said body passage and during such implantation, implanting said position maintenance assisting means inside said body passage by surgically opening said body passage.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein implanting said position maintenance assisting means in said implantation step comprises implanting a positioning member having a channel extending therethrough.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein implanting position maintenance assisting means in said implantation step further comprises implanting a cloth skirt and further comprising sewing said cloth skirt to the inner surface of said body passage during such implantation.

9. A method for reversibly closing a natural or implanted urethra comprising the steps of:

implanting, in the body, an implantable fluid reservoir, implantable pumping means operatively connected to said implantable fluid reservoir, an implantable distensible member operatively connected to said pumping means, and a funnel shaped member having a channel extending therethrough connected to said distensible member and during such implantation placing said distensible member in the bladder near the inlet to said urethra and fitting said funnel shaped member within the inlet to said urethra;

activating said pumping means to pump fluid from said implantable fluid reservoir to said distensible member to cause distension thereof to reversibly close said urethra when it is desired to close said urethra; and

activating said pumping means to pump fluid from said distensible member to said implantable fluid reservoir to cause deflation of said distensible member to open said urethra when it is desired to open said urethra.