Single circuit elastofluidic sphincter
First Claim
1. A prosthetic sphincter for surgical implantation to apply occlusive pressures to a patient'"'"'s lumen for achieving coaptive continence, said sphincter comprising:
- an occlusion cuff surrounding the lumen and having an expandable chamber thereof for engaging and articulating the lumen;
a first fluid filled path communicating with said expandable chamber;
a second fluid filled path communicating with said expandable chamber; and
first and second fluid filled reservoirs respectively interconnected with said first and second fluid paths by which to selectively deliver a supply of fluid under pressure via either one or both of said paths to said expandable chamber for controlling the expansion of said chamber and varying the occlusive pressures being applied to the lumen for achieving coaptive continence,each of said reservoirs being surgically implanted at a manually accessible area of the patient and having respective flexible surfaces to be manually depressed to compress its associated reservoir and force fluid therefrom and into a corresponding fluid path for delivery to said expandable chamber, such that the successive compression of the first and then the second of said reservoirs variably increasing the occlusive pressure being applied to said lumen from a first to a second pressure level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gastrointestinal sphincter to be surgically implanted around a lumen (e.g. bowel) of a patient to apply variable occlusive pressures for articulating the lumen. The sphincter includes an occlusion cuff having a hollow, expansible chamber formed therein to embrace the lumen. Communicating in a single, continuous fluid circuit with the expansible chamber are first and second fluid circuits having respective reservoir supplies of fluid located therein. Each of the reservoir supplies may be selectively actuated in order that fluid will be delivered to the expansible chamber to controllably expand the chamber and thereby produce variable occlusive pressure levels for achieving coaptive continence. A fluid filled physician control port is interconnected with one of the fluid circuits and surgically implanted so as to be accessible to a fluid filled syringe. A carefully controlled volume of fluid from the port can be delivered to the expansible chamber via the associated fluid path to generate the minimum increased occlusive pressure necessary to achieve coaptive continence according to the tissue requirements of the patient.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A prosthetic sphincter for surgical implantation to apply occlusive pressures to a patient'"'"'s lumen for achieving coaptive continence, said sphincter comprising:
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an occlusion cuff surrounding the lumen and having an expandable chamber thereof for engaging and articulating the lumen; a first fluid filled path communicating with said expandable chamber; a second fluid filled path communicating with said expandable chamber; and first and second fluid filled reservoirs respectively interconnected with said first and second fluid paths by which to selectively deliver a supply of fluid under pressure via either one or both of said paths to said expandable chamber for controlling the expansion of said chamber and varying the occlusive pressures being applied to the lumen for achieving coaptive continence, each of said reservoirs being surgically implanted at a manually accessible area of the patient and having respective flexible surfaces to be manually depressed to compress its associated reservoir and force fluid therefrom and into a corresponding fluid path for delivery to said expandable chamber, such that the successive compression of the first and then the second of said reservoirs variably increasing the occlusive pressure being applied to said lumen from a first to a second pressure level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A prosthetic sphincter for surgical implantation, said sphincter including a continence producing occlusion cuff being relatively inextensible and resistant to elongation in response to tensile stretching forces and surrounding a patient'"'"'s lumen to apply occlusive pressure for occluding and relaxing the lumen and thereby controlling the movement of material therethrough, said occlusive cuff having an expansible chamber to embrace the lumen, said sphincter further comprising:
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means to selectively deliver fluid to said expansible chamber to controllably expand said chamber and thereby produce occlusive pressure for achieving coaptive continence, and relatively extensible membrane means subject to variable elongation in response to at least predetermined minimum tensile stretching forces, said membrane means interconnected with said occlusion cuff to increase the inside circumference of said cuff and thereby accommodate a distension of the lumen when said occlusion cuff is positioned therearound. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A prosthetic sphincter for surgical implantation to apply occlusive pressures to a patient'"'"'s lumen for achieving coaptive continence, said sphincter comprising:
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an occlusion cuff being relatively inextensible and resistant to elongation in response to tensile stretching forces and surrounding the lumen and having an expandable chamber thereof for engaging and articulating the lumen; a first fluid filled path communicating with said expandable chamber; a second fluid filled path communicating with said expandable chamber; first and second fluid filled reservoirs respectively interconnected with said first and second fluid paths and having respective flexible surfaces to be manually depressed to force fluid outwardly therefrom and into a corresponding fluid path for delivery to said expandable chamber for filling said chamber and increasing the occlusive pressure being applied to the patient'"'"'s lumen such that the successive compression of the first and then the second of said reservoirs variably increases the occlusive pressure being applied to said lumen from a first to a second pressure level; a fluid filled physician actuated port, said fluid filled port being surgically implanted at a manually accessible area of the patient and interconnected with at least one of said first and second fluid paths, said fluid filled port having a region in which to receive a fluid filled syringe so that an additional supply of fluid can be introduced to said port to force existing fluid therefrom and into said corresponding fluid path for delivery to said expandable chamber; and relatively extensible membrane means subject to variable elongation in response to at least predetermined minimum tensile stretching forces, said membrane means interconnected with said occlusion cuff to increase the inside circumference thereof and thereby accommodate a distension of the lumen when said membrane means and occlusion cuff are positioned therearound.
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Specification