REMOTELY ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BANDING DEVICE

• US 20120215062A1
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apollo Endosurgery US, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allergan, Inc. (Canada) (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Coe, Frederick L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,845,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0066 Closing devices for gastric bands

Abstract

A remotely controllable gastric banding device (10) for placement around the stomach of a patient for the treatment of obesity. The device (10) comprises a gastric band (10) having an inflatable chamber (16) for adjusting the inner circumference of the band (10), a pressurized reservoir (20) with a valve (31) for providing fluid to inflate the inflation chamber (16), a valve (32) for releasing fluid from the inflatable chamber (16), and a controller (41) for controlling the valves (31, 32). The controller (41) is remotely controllable from outside the patient.

Claims

1. A pressurized inflatable gastric banding system for treating obesity in a patient, comprising:

a gastric band suited for placement around a stomach of the patient;

an inflatable member positioned along an inner surface of the gastric band for adjusting an inner circumference of the gastric band, the inflatable member having a pressure P2;

a reservoir coupled to the inflatable member and configured to contain a fluid, the reservoir having a pressure P1 that remains greater than or equal to the pressure P2;

an inlet valve in fluid communication with the reservoir and the inflatable member; and

a controller coupled to the inlet valve for controlling the flow of the fluid from the reservoir to the inflatable member, the controller configured to be remotely controllable from outside of the patient.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a remote control device for remotely controlling the controller.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the remote control device is configured to interface with a computer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the inflatable member does not wrinkle or fold when adjusting the inner circumference of the gastric band.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the gastric band is configured to form a smoothly surfaced circle around the stomach of the patient.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the gastric band is lockable in the smoothly surfaced circle.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a unique identification code assigned to the gastric band for restricting access to the adjusting of the inner circumference of the gastric band.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the unique identification code is a PIN code.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the assignment of the PIN code is configured to prevent accidental adjustment of the inner circumference of the gastric band.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an outlet location having a pressure P3 that does not exceed the pressure P2; and

an outlet valve in fluid communication with the inflatable member and the outlet location;

wherein the controller is coupled to the outlet valve for controlling the flow of the fluid from the inflatable member to the outlet location.

11. An inflatable gastric banding apparatus for treating obesity in a patient, comprising:

a gastric band for positioning around a stomach in a body of the patient, the gastric band having an inflatable chamber;

a pressurized fluid reservoir coupled to the inflatable chamber and configured to passively provide a fluid to the inflatable chamber for inflating the inflatable chamber;

a valve coupled between the inflatable chamber and the fluid reservoir; and

a controller configured to actuate the valve;

wherein the inflatable chamber is configured to receive body fluid from the body of the patient for further inflating the inflatable chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the fluid is a concentrated saline solution.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is positioned external to the body of the patient.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller mechanically actuates the valve.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller electrically actuates the valve via a wired connection between the controller and the valve.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller actuates the valve wirelessly.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

an access port implanted in the body of the patient; and

a fill tube coupled between the access port and the fluid reservoir for refilling the fluid reservoir by transdermal injection through the access port.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

an access port implanted in the body of the patient; and

a fill tube coupled between the access port and the inflatable chamber for inflating or deflating the inflatable chamber by transdermal access through the access port.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

an outlet location; and

a second valve coupled between the inflatable chamber and the outlet location, the inflatable chamber configured to passively provide the fluid to the outlet location for deflating the inflatable chamber;

wherein the controller is configured to actuate the second valve.