Pancreatic exocrine secretion diversion apparatus and method

• US 7,833,279 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ReShape LifeSciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EnteroMedics, Inc. (ReShape LifeSciences, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Mark B., Conrad, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hand; Melanie J
• Application Number:
  US10/987,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 623/23.64, 623/23.65, 623/23.68, 604 8- 10, 606/171
• US Class Current: 623/23.64
• 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 5/0003 Apparatus for the treatment of obesity; Anti-eating devices surgical instruments or methods for treatment of obesity, devices specially adapted therefor A61B17/00; hollow or tubular parts of organs A61F2/04

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating a patient'"'"'s health condition by diverting pancreatic exocrine secretions include a flow diverter of material compatible with chronic residence within a small intestine of the patient. The flow diverter has a cover end and a discharge end. The flow diverter is sized to be placed within the small intestine with the discharge end placed distally from said cover end and with said flow diverter further sized so permit passage of chyme through the small intestine and past the flow diverter. The cover end is sized to cover a discharge papilla of the pancreatic duct. The diverter is adapted to divert at least a portion of pancreatic exocrine secretion from the papilla to the distal discharge end.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating a health condition susceptible to treatment by reduction of nutrient absorption, said apparatus comprising:

a flow diverter of material compatible with chronic residence within a small

intestine of a patient, said flow diverter having a cover end and a discharge end, said flow diverter comprising a flap of material having a front and a back surface separated by left and right side edges;

said flow diverter sized to be placed within said small intestine with said discharge end placed distally from said cover end and with said flow diverter further sized to permit passage of chyme through said small intestine and past said flow diverter;

said cover end sized to cover a discharge location of pancreatic exocrine secretions into a small intestine of said patient and adapted to be attached to an attachment ring located in the small intestine at said discharge location, wherein said front surface of said flap of material opposes said discharge location of said small intestine;

said diverter adapted to divert at least a portion of pancreatic exocrine secretion from said discharge location to said distal discharge end with said front surface of said flap of material opposing said discharge location of said small intestine and defining there between a flow path in fluid flow communication with said discharge location with said flow path in surface contact with a length of said small intestine between said discharge location and said discharge end.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said material of said diverter is at least partially permeable to said pancreatic exocrine secretion to permit a portion of the secretions to pass through the material of the flow diverter.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said diverter includes a plurality of holes through a wall of said diverter along a length of said diverter.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said diverter is a flap of material sized to extend distally to said discharge location papilla, and with side edges unattached to said wall of said small intestine, with opposing surfaces of said diverter and said wall of said small intestine between said sides defining a flow conduit.

5. A method for treating a health condition susceptible to treatment by reduction of nutrient absorption, said method comprising:

selecting a patient for treatment;

accessing a discharge location of pancreatic exocrine secretions into a small intestine of the patient;

placing an apparatus of claim 1 into said small intestine by

a) covering said discharge location with the cover end of a flow diverter, wherein the flow diverter comprises a flap of material having a front and a back surface separated by left and right side edges;

b) positioning said flow diverter in said small intestine with the cover end positioned over said discharge location and a discharge end positioned distally to said discharge location, wherein said front surface of said flap of material opposes said discharge location of said small intestine and defines there between a flow path in fluid flow communication with said discharge location, with said flow path in surface contact with a length of said small intestine between said discharge location and said discharge end; and

c) securing said cover end to an attachment ring located in said small intestine at said discharge location.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said flow diverter is selected to have a size to be placed chronically within said small intestine without complete blockage of passage of chyme through said small intestine.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said left and right side edges are adapted to be secured to a wall of said small intestine and said method including securing said side edges to said wall of said small intestine.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said side edges are secured to said wall of said small intestine at intervals with detached lengths of said side edges between said intervals.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein said side edges are secured to said wall of said small intestine continuously along a length of said side edges.

10. A method for treating a health condition susceptible to treatment by reduction of nutrient absorption, comprising:

selecting a patient for treatment;

positioning an apparatus of claim 1 in a small intestine of the patient with a cover end positioned over a discharge location of pancreatic exocrine secretion into said small intestine, and a discharge end positioned distally to said discharge location, wherein said front surface of said flap of material opposes said discharge location of said small intestine and defines there between a flow path in fluid flow communication with said discharge location with said flow path in surface contact with a length of said small intestine between said discharge location and said discharge end, and

securing said cover end to an attachment ring located in said small intestine at said discharge location.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said flow diverter is selected to have a size to be placed chronically within said small intestine without complete blockage of passage of chyme through said small intestine.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said flow diverter comprises a flap of material having a front and a back surface separated by left and right side edges, and wherein said left and right side edges are adapted to be secured to a wall of said small intestine and said method including securing said side edges to said wall of said small intestine.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said side edges are secured to said wall of said small intestine continuously along a length of said side edges.