Intragastric stent for duodenum bypass

• US 6,740,121 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Corporation
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Corporation
• Inventors: Geitz, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Matthews, William H
• Application Number:
  US10/057,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 623/23.64, 623/23.65, 623/23.67, 623/23.7, 623/23.75, 623/23.71
• US Class Current: 623/23.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/044 Oesophagi or esophagi or gullets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0076 preventing normal digestion, e.g. Bariatric or gastric sleeves

Abstract

A porous weave of bioabsorbable filaments is encased in an elastic membrane to form a thin-walled stent. The stent is sized to be snugly fitted in the proximate portion of the duodenum of a patient, to induce weight loss by limiting uptake of food passing through the stent. After a predetermined period, the stent degrades and passes from the body without surgical intervention.

Claims

1. An intragastric stent comprising a substantially cylindrical thin-walled shell sized for snug fining in a duodenum adjacent to the pylorus without extending into the stomach, the shell having a weave of flexible, resilient filaments and including an elastic peripheral membrane impervious to digestive juices such that, when deployed in the duodenum, uptake of food through the stent is lessened or inhibited, the filaments and membrane being bioabsorbable so that the shell will pass from the duodenum without surgical intervention after an approximately predetermined period of 3 months to 2 years.

2. The stent defined in claim 1, in which the approximately predetermined period is about 6 months.

3. The stent defined in claim 1, in which the shell has a length of about 6 cm to about 12 cm.

4. A method of inducing weight loss in a patient which comprises securing in the proximate portion of the duodenum of the patient, adjacent to the pylorus without extending into the stomach, a substantially cylindrical, thin-walled, flexible elastic stent when, when deployed, is impervious to digestive juices in the duodenum to limit uptake of food through the stent and along the portion of the duodenum in which the stent is fitted, the stent being a weave of flexible, resilient filaments and an elastic peripheral membrane, the filaments and membrane being bioabsorbable so that the stent will pass from the duodenum within an approximately predetermined period of 3 months to 2 years.

5. The method described in claim 4, in which the approximately predetermined period is six months.