Methods and apparatus for treating body tissue sphincters and the like

• US 20050283235A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Torax Medical, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Torax Medical, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Kugler, Chad J., Swanson, William J., Grudem, Jerome K. Jr., Berg, Todd A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,695,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/14.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12009 Implements for ligaturing other than by clamps or clips, e.g. using a loop with a slip knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12013 for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00827 Treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12018 Elastic band ligators
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0036 implantable A61F2/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/005 Gastric bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0069 in the wall of the stomach

Abstract

A plurality of structures that resiliently attract one another are provided for implanting in a patient around a body tissue structure of the patient. For example, the body tissue structure may be the esophagus, and the plurality of structures may be implanted in an annulus around the outside of the esophagus, the annulus being substantially coaxial with the esophagus. The attraction may be between annularly adjacent ones of the structures in the annulus, and it may be provided, for example, by magnets or springs. The array of structures is preferably self-limiting with respect to the smallest area that it can encompass, and this smallest area is preferably large enough to prevent the apparatus from applying excessive pressure to tissue passing through that area.

Claims

1. Apparatus for encompassing a patient'"'"'s body tissue structure and for resiliently applying pressure to the encompassed tissue comprising:

a plurality of bodies that can be disposed in an array around the tissue structure;

means associated with the bodies for resiliently attracting adjacent ones of the bodies in the array to one another; and

means associated with the bodies for limiting an area encompassed by the bodies to no less than a predetermined non-zero minimum.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the means for attracting comprises a magnet.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the means for attracting comprises an elastic member.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the means for attracting comprises a spring.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the means for limiting comprises contact between adjacent ones of the bodies.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for limiting maximum spacing between adjacent ones of the bodies.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

extendable connections between the bodies.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the extendable connections limit maximum spacing between adjacent ones of the bodies.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for maintaining substantially equal spacing between adjacent ones of the bodies, while allowing that spacing to change.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the means for limiting comprises an arc shape of a surface of at least one of the bodies that faces the tissue structure.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is adapted for implanting in the patient'"'"'s body.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus has an initial substantially linear form that can be converted to a closed loop by connecting ends of the linear form.

13. Apparatus for encompassing a patient'"'"'s body tissue structure and for resiliently applying pressure to the encompassed tissue comprising:

a band that can be disposed around the tissue structure; and

means for resiliently producing a pleat in the band to reduce but not eliminate an area encompassed by the band.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein the means for resiliently producing comprises:

a pair of bodies adjacent to one another along the band that are magnetically attracted to one another.

15. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s body tissue structure comprising:

surrounding the tissue structure with apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a smallest area that the apparatus encompasses, the smallest area being a non-zero area.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein the surrounding comprises:

implanting the apparatus inside the patient'"'"'s body.

17. The method defined in claim 16 wherein the implanting comprises:

delivering the apparatus into the patient'"'"'s body in a substantially linear form;

wrapping the apparatus around the tissue structure; and

attaching ends of the apparatus to one another.

18. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s body tissue structure comprising:

surrounding the tissue structure with apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a largest area that the apparatus encompasses.

19. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s body tissue structure comprising:

surrounding the tissue structure with annularly continuous apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a smallest area that the apparatus encompasses, the smallest area being a non-zero area.

20. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s body tissue structure comprising:

surrounding the tissue structure with apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure while allowing the tissue structure to resiliently change its radius of curvature, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a smallest area that the apparatus encompasses, the smallest area being a non-zero area.

21. A method of treating a patient'"'"'s body tissue structure comprising:

delivering a prosthesis into the patient'"'"'s body in a discontinuous form;

disposing the prosthesis around the tissue structure; and

converting the prosthesis to a continuous form around the tissue structure.

22. A method of treating a body passage comprising:

disposing a band around the outside of the body passage, the band being configured to provide radial support to the body passage; and

securing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage.

23. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the body passage is an esophagus.

24. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising:

forming the band of an elastic material.

25. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising:

forming the band of an elastic metal or polymer.

26. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the securing comprises:

suturing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage.

27. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the band is configured to allow expansion of the body passage.

28. A method of treating a body passage comprising:

disposing a band around the outside of the body passage, the band being configured to provide radial support to the body passage; and

securing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage.

29. The method defined in claim 28 wherein the body passage is an esophagus.

30. A method of treating a body passage comprising:

disposing a band around the outside of the body passage, the band being configured to provide inwardly directed radial support to the body passage, wherein the band is configured to allow expansion of the body passage.

31. The method defined in claim 30 further comprising:

securing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage.

32. The method defined in claim 30 wherein the body passage is an esophagus.

33. The method defined in claim 30 further comprising:

forming the band of an elastic material.

34. The method defined in claim 30 further comprising:

forming the band of an elastic metal or polymer.

35. The method defined in claim 31 wherein the securing comprises:

suturing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage.