Artificial sphincter for use at stoma, or for the like purposes

• US 4,399,809 A
• Filed: 10/24/1980
• Issued: 08/23/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hector O. Hurtado, Juan V. Baro
• Original Assignee: Hector O. Hurtado, Juan V. Baro
• Inventors: Hurtado, Hector O., Baro, Juan V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US06/200,479
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 128/DIG. 25, 128/1 R, 128/1 D, 128/344, 128/346, 128/325, 128/686, 128/283, 128/327, 3/1
• US Class Current: 600/31
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/004 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

The invention concerns an artificial sphincter comprised of a strip to be wrapped around the intestine, conduit, tube of the wearer'"'"'s body, or the like. The strip carries either a single inflatable chamber that extends along its length, or parallel longitudinally extending chambers, or rows of separate chambers, wherein the chambers in adjacent rows are staggered longitudinally along the strip. Passages communicate among the chambers to maintain uniform pressure. A tube communicates into the chambers for selectively delivering fluid to inflate them or to permit them to be deflated. At least one wall of the chamber is flexible and elastic, and that wall faces in around the intestine, or the like, so that upon inflation of the chambers, the intestine, conduit, tube or the like is compressed and occluded. In a variant, the chambers are shaped to have a smaller cross-section toward one longitudinal edge of the strip and a larger cross-section toward the other longitudinal edge thereof.

Claims

1. An artificial sphincter for ensuring continence of stomas of the digestive system, for preventing anal incontinence, for occluding conduits and tubes in the digestive system of the body, and for like purposes, the artificial sphincter comprising:

a flexible band bendable into a cylindrical form adapted to encircle the intestine or other conduit or tube of the body, or the like, which is to be compressed and occluded;

inflatable chamber means defined in said band, said chamber means having a flexible wall and comprising a first plurality of chambers disposed in a first row and a second plurality of chambers disposed in a second row spaced apart from said first row along the axis of said chamber, the chambers of said first row being staggered with respect to said chambers of said second row, each said row extending the length of said band;

a conduit for transmitting fluid to said inflatable chamber means for selectively inflating and deflating said chamber means; and

passages connecting said chambers for establishing uniform pressure among the chambers.

2. The artificial sphincter of claim 1, wherein the chamber means is defined by and is comprised of at least two walls, with one of the walls facing outwardly of one of the surfaces of the band;

the one wall being flexible.

3. The artificial sphincter of claim 2, wherein the one wall is also elastic.

4. The artificial sphincter of claim 3, further comprising reinforcing means on the opposite surface of the band from the one wall for preventing expansion of the opposite surface as the one wall expands.

5. The artificial sphincter of claim 4, wherein the reinforcement means comprises a substantially rigid ring for encircling the exterior of the band, when the band is wrapped around an intestine, conduit, tube, or the like, and the flexible wall faces inwardly toward the intestine, conduit, tube, or the like.

6. The artificial sphincter of claims 1, wherein the band is a strip having longitudinal ends which may be brought toward each other for encircling the intestine, conduit, tube, or the like, on which the artificial sphincter is to be used.

11. The artificial sphincter of claims 1 or 7, further including means for indicating when the pressure in said chambers reaches a predetermined value.

7. An artificial sphincter, comprising:

a flexible band which is bendable into a generally cylindrical figure;

a first row of inflatable chambers formed in said flexible band and extending generally along a circumference of said cylindrical figure, said first row of inflatable chambers including a first plurality of inflatable chambers;

a second row of inflatable chambers formed in said band and extending generally along a circumference of said cylindrical figure, said first row of inflatable chambers being spaced apart from said second row of inflatable chambers in the axial direction of said cylindrical figure, said second row of inflatable chambers including a second plurality of inflatable chambers, the chambers of said first plurality of chambers being staggered with respect to the chambers of said second plurality of chambers;

a conduit connected to at least one of said inflatable chambers for permitting an inflating fluid to be pumped into said at least one inflatable chamber; and

passages connecting said chambers to each other such that a substantially even fluid pressure exists in all of said chambers.

8. The artificial sphincter of claim 7, wherein each of said chambers is defined by a respective outer and inner wall and wherein each of said inner walls has a greater flexibility than its associated outer wall.

9. The artificial sphincter of claim 8, wherein each of said inner walls is elastic.

10. The artificial sphincter of claim 9, wherein each of said outer walls is non-expandable.