Gastric constriction device

• US 6,547,801 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sofradim Production
• Original Assignee: Sofradim Production
• Inventors: Greillier, Bernard, Dargent, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Khoa D
• Application Number:
  US09/786,974
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 606/151, 606/153, 606/157, 606/158
• US Class Current: 606/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12013 for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/48 Operating or control means, e.g. from outside the body, control of sphincters
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30668 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable

Abstract

Constriction device (1) which can be at least partially implanted in the human or animal body, comprising a constriction member (2) forming a ring in its operational configuration, said constriction member including a flexible band (12), of which the two ends (12a, 12b) are adjacent to one another in the operational configuration, and a means (3) for actuating the constriction member, characterized in that, in cooperation, on the one hand, at least one end (12b) of the flexible band (12) includes a tractile element (13) for moving said end relative to the other end (12a), generating a radial deformation of the constriction member, and, on the other hand, the actuating means (3) comprises a member (25) for pulling the tractile element (13).

Claims

1. A gastric constriction device which is at least partially implanted in a human or animal body, comprising a constriction member (2) forming a ring having a maximum transverse section in its operational configuration, said ring including a flexible band (12) having a mobile end and a fixed end, the two ends (12a, 12b) are adjacent to one another in the operational configuration, corresponding to the maximum transverse section of said ring, the mobile end (12b) of the flexible band (12) includes a tractile element (13), and a means (3) for actuating the ring-forming member (2) to pull the tractile element, and to move said mobile end (12b) relative to the fixed end (12a), generating a radial deformation of the constriction member, wherein the fixed end (12a) of the flexible band (12) is traversed by a longitudinal and open slit (17a) which is bordered by two wings (17b), said slit receiving, in an overlapping manner, a reduced width curved tongue (13a) of the tractile element (13), further wherein the relative and concentric movement of the mobile end into the fixed end regulates the transverse section of the flexible band, causing the ring-forming member to form the gastric constriction device.

2. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the constriction member (2) includes a sheath (14) made of compressible or pliable biocompatible material, enclosing the flexible band (12).

3. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that it includes a protective shell (22) which has a part (23) of rigid material forming a housing for the means for actuating (3), and a part (24) of compressible or pliable biocompatible flexible material forming the sheath (14) of the flexible band (12).

4. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the protective shell and the sheath (14) form one and the same piece.

5. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the sheath (14) has at least one of material recesses and preformed folds on each side of the flexible band (12), allowing said sheath to fold in an ordered and regular manner upon radial deformation of the constriction member (2).

6. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in a standby configuration of the constriction member (2), between its two ends, the flexible band (12) is made up of the tractile element (13) including a complementary first fixing member (16), and a second element (17) including a complementary second fixing member (18), the tractile element (13) being connected to the second element (17) by definitive coupling of the-complementary fixing members (16, 18), in order to obtain the operational configuration of the constriction member (2).

7. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises or is associated with a remote control means (4).

8. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the remote control means (4) comprises an extracorporeal emitter (10) and an intracorporeal receiver (11), the receiver having a means (29) for processing a signal emitted by the emitter (10) and for transmitting a control signal.

9. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the processing means (29) comprises a single electric circuit designed to carry both control information and power to the means for actuating (3).

10. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the processing means (29) comprises an electric circuit consisting of a resonance induction coil (36), a rectifier (37), a pulse generator (42), at least one shift register (43, 44), and a circuit (40) for controlling the direction of running of the actuating means.

11. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the receiver (11) of the remote control means (4) is arranged remote from the constriction member (2) and is connected electrically (28) to the means for actuating (3).

12. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the extracorporeal emitter (10) comprises an electric circuit made up of an electrical power supply (30), an oscillator (31), an amplifier circuit (34) and a primary induction coil (35).

13. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the emitter (10) additionally comprises at least one member (32, 33) for selecting the frequency of the oscillator (31).

14. The gastric constriction device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the actuating means (3) is designed to retain, in a stable manner, the mutual relative position of the two ends (12a, 12b) of the flexible band (12) in the absence of power supply to said actuating means (3).