Bariatric device and method

• US 8,100,931 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BFKW, LLC
• Original Assignee: BFKW, LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Randal S., Kemmeter, Paul R., Foote, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/915,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20110092879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 623/1.1, 623/11.11, 623/23.64, 623/23.65, 600/97, 606213-219, 606/139, 606/192, 606/191, 604104-109, 604/99.01, 604/500
• US Class Current: 606/191
• 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 2002/045 Stomach, intestines
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0013 Implantable devices or invasive measures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/004 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0043 using injection ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0069 in the wall of the stomach
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0076 preventing normal digestion, e.g. Bariatric or gastric sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0089 Instruments for placement or removal

Abstract

A bariatric device and method of causing at least partial satiety includes a body that is adapted to be positioned at i) an abdominal portion of the esophagus and/or ii) a proximal cardiac portion of the stomach. The body has a wall defining a lumen. The wall is configured to generally conform to the shape and size of i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and/or ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach. A force is exerted with the wall at i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and/or (ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach thereby influencing a neurohormonal feedback mechanism of the patient to cause at least partial satiety by augmenting fullness caused by food and simulating fullness in the absence of food. The method further includes adjusting the force exerted with the wall.

Claims

1. A bariatric device comprising:

a body having a wall defining a lumen, said wall configured to generally conform to the shape and size of at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach, said wall adapted to exert a force on the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach thereby influencing a neurohormonal feedback mechanism to cause at least partial satiety by augmenting fullness caused by food and simulating fullness in the absence of food, wherein said body is adapted to adjust the force exerted by said wall.

2. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said force is adjustable endoscopically.

3. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall defines a chamber wherein adjustment of an amount of fluid in said chamber adjusts the force exerted by said wall.

4. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 3 including a port providing external access to said chamber.

5. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 1 including a control, said control is adapted to adjust the force exerted by said wall.

6. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control is adapted to temporally adjust the force exerted by said wall.

7. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control is programmed to adjust the force exerted by said wall based upon the time of day.

8. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said control is programmed to increase the force exerted by said wall during anticipated waking hours and to decrease the force exerted by said wall during anticipated sleeping hours.

9. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said control is programmed to increase the force exerted by said wall at anticipated eating times.

10. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control is adapted to adjust the force exerted by said wall based upon hormonal levels.

11. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 5 including another control that is an external control and a radio-frequency link between said control and said external control.

12. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body includes tissue in-growth characteristics.

13. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body is made at least in part from an absorbable material.

14. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lumen is substantially free of restriction.

15. The bariatric device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall is adapted to exert a force without the presence of food.

16. A bariatric device comprising:

a body having a wall defining a lumen, wherein said wall includes a wall portion defining an esophageal member sized to conform to an abdominal portion of the esophagus, another wall portion defining a cardiac member sized to conform to a proximal cardiac portion of the stomach and a further wall portion extending between said esophageal member and said cardiac member, wherein said esophageal member and said cardiac member are adapted to exert a force on the abdominal portion of the esophagus and the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach thereby influencing a neurohormonal feedback mechanism to cause at least partial satiety by augmenting fullness caused by food and simulating fullness in the absence of food, wherein said body is adapted to adjust the force exerted by said esophageal member and said cardiac member.

17. A bariatric device comprising:

a body having a wall defining a lumen, said wall configured to generally conform to the shape and size of at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach, said wall adapted to exert a force on the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach thereby influencing a neurohormonal feedback mechanism to cause at least partial satiety by augmenting fullness caused by food and simulating fullness in the absence of food; and

a mechanism incorporated into said body, said mechanism being adapted to increase or decrease the force exerted on the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach.

18. A method of causing at least partial satiety comprising:

positioning a body at at least one chosen from i) an abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) a proximal cardiac portion of the stomach, said body having a wall defining a lumen, said wall configured to generally conform to the shape and size of the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach;

exerting force with the wall at the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and (ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach thereby influencing a neurohormonal feedback mechanism of the patient to cause at least partial satiety by augmenting fullness caused by food and simulating fullness in the absence of food; and

adjusting the force exerted with said wall.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said adjusting includes increasing or decreasing the force exerted with said wall.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 including monitoring a level of satiety.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18 including monitoring a level of satiety.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said adjusting the force includes adjusting the force at the time of positioning said body.

23. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said adjusting the force comprises adjusting the force according to a temporal parameter.

24. A method of causing at least partial satiety comprising:

positioning a body at the abdominal portion of the esophagus and the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach, said body having a wall defining a lumen, wherein said wall includes a wall portion defining an esophageal member sized to conform to the abdominal portion of the esophagus, another wall portion defining a cardiac member sized to conform to the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach and a further wall portion extending between said esophageal member and said cardiac member;

exerting a force with said esophageal member and said cardiac member on the abdominal portion of the esophagus and the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach thereby influencing a neurohormonal feedback mechanism to cause at least partial satiety by augmenting fullness caused by food and simulating fullness in the absence of food; and

increasing or decreasing said force exerted with said esophageal member and said cardiac member.

25. A method of causing at least partial satiety comprising:

positioning a body at at least one chosen from i) an abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) a proximal cardiac portion of the stomach, said body having a wall defining a lumen, said wall configured to generally conform to the shape and size of the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach;

exerting force with the wall at the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and (ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach thereby influencing a neurohormonal feedback mechanism of the patient to cause at least partial satiety by augmenting fullness caused by food and simulating fullness in the absence of food; and

wherein said body further comprises a mechanism that is adapted to adjust the force exerted on the at least one chosen from i) the abdominal portion of the esophagus and ii) the proximal cardiac portion of the stomach; and

increasing or decreasing said force using said mechanism.