Devices, systems, and methods to control stomach volume

• US 8,979,885 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Smith, Michael A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Zare, Richard N.
• Primary Examiner(s): SEVERSON, RYAN J
• Application Number:
  US13/385,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 600/37, 604/8, 604/9, 604104-109, 606/191, 623/23.64, 623/23.68
• US Class Current: 606/191
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2005/0016 comprising measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0046 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0073 in the abdominal cavity, e.g. not attached to the stomach
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods, devices, and computer systems thereof for reducing stomach volume in a subject. In certain embodiments, a subject receives a stomach-volume-reducing device that optionally includes at least one reservoir configured to release at least one appetite suppressant. In an embodiment, the stomach-volume-reducing device is responsive to one or more environmental conditions of the subject, for example, pH or chemical chemicals in the stomach of the subject. In an embodiment, the stomach-volume-reducing device controls hunger in the subject.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a reversibly responsive expandable device housing configured to reversibly expand or contract and primarily reside in the stomach of a subject;

at least one member motor;

at least one actuatable mechanical member operably coupled to each of the at least one member motor and the housing; and

at least one crystalline colloidal array sensor operably coupled to the at least one member motor and configured to detect at least one chemical in the stomach of the subject.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device resides solely in the stomach of the subject.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is attached to the gastric wall of the subject.

4. The device of claim 1, further including at least one energy storage device operably coupled to the at least one motor.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the energy storage device includes at least one battery.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one chemical sensor.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuatable mechanical member includes at least one linear displacement actuator within the member.

8. The device of claim 1, further including at least one wireless remote controller operably coupled to the at least one motor.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one reversibly responsive expandable device housing is fabricated from a first polymer, and encasing chemical responsive particles made from a second polymer;

the reversibly responsive expandable device housing including at least one port; and

at least one controllable micropump or controllable valve operably connected to the at least one port.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one hunger control delivery reservoir operably coupled to the at least one reservoir motor includes one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units act substantially autonomously.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units are configured to receive one or more signals substantially continuously from one or more appetite suppressant delivery sensors.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units are configured to receive one or more signals that include information related to one or more concentrations of at least one chemical within a subject.

14. The device of claim 1, further including a timer.

15. The device of claim 14, further including a timer transmitter operably coupled to the at least one motor.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one motor is operably coupled to a receiver.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the motor is responsive to signals received from the timer transmitter.

18. A device, comprising:

a reversibly responsive expandable device housing configured to reversibly expand or contract and primarily reside in the stomach of a subject;

at least one controllable ratchet member or extendable ladder member operably coupled to the housing;

at least one member motor operably coupled to the at least one controllable ratchet member or controllable extendable ladder member;

at least one controller operably coupled to the at least one member motor and configured to increase or decrease the length of the controllable ratchet or controllable extendable ladder member; and

at least one hunger control delivery reservoir operably coupled to at least one reservoir motor, and configured to receive one or more signals from at least one internal or external interface.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the device resides solely in the stomach of a subject.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the device is attached to the gastric wall of the subject.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the at least one controllable ratchet member or controllable extendable ladder member is configured to receive one or more signals from one or more internal or external interfaces.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the at least one controllable ratchet member or controllable extendable ladder member includes one or more member control units.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more member control units act substantially autonomously.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more member control units are configured to receive one or more signals substantially continuously from one or more member sensors.

25. A system, comprising:

a stomach-volume-reducing device including a reversibly responsive expandable device housing configured to reversibly expand or contract and primarily reside in the stomach of a subject;

at least one motor;

at least one actuatable mechanical member operably coupled to each of the at least one motor and the housing;

one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units operably coupled to the at least one motor and that are responsive to one or more signals received from one or more sensors of a stomach-volume-reducing device; and

circuitry configured to operate the at least one motor; and

circuitry configured to operate the one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units.

26. A system, comprising:

a stomach-volume-reducing device, including

a reversibly responsive expandable device housing configured to reversibly expand or contract and attach to a gastric wall of a subject, at least one actuatable mechanical member;

at least one motor operably coupled to the at least one actuatable mechanical member;

at least one crystalline colloidal array sensor operably coupled to the at least one motor and configured to detect one or more electrical signals originating from a subject; and

control circuitry operably coupled to the stomach-volume-reducing device, the control circuitry configured to operate the at least one motor responsive to receiving one or more signals from the at least one sensor.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one sensor is operably coupled to the at least one motor and is configured to wirelessly communicate the sensed one or more electrical signals originating from the subject.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one sensor is electrically or optically coupled to the control circuitry to communicate the one or more signals thereto.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine when to engage the at least one motor.

30. The system of claim 26, further including at least one controller configured to activate expansion of the stomach-volume-reducing device responsive to the control circuitry determining that the at least one reversibly responsive expandable stomach-volume-reducing device is to be deployed.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one controller is configured to activate expansion of the stomach-volume-reducing device to a programmed level of expansion.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the control circuitry operably coupled to the stomach-volume-reducing device configured to operate the at least one motor responsive to receiving one or more signals from the at least one sensor is configured to actuate the at least one actuatable mechanical member operably coupled to the at least one motor.

33. The system of claim 26, further including a first data transmitter coupled to the control circuitry, the first data transmitter configured to transmit information at least related to data encoded in the one or more sensed electrical signals of the subject.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the first data transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the information.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is programmable.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the device is programmable for expansion of about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 30%, about 40%, about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 90%, about 100%, or any value less than or therebetween.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is configured to direct a data transmitter to transmit the information to a third party or a second device.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the second device includes a second stomach-volume-reducing device.

39. The system of claim 26, further including a memory module configured to store data encoded in the one or more sensed electrical signals of the subject.

40. The system of claim 26, further including a timer.

41. The system of claim 26, further including circuitry configured to operate one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units that are operably coupled to the at least one motor and that is responsive to one or more signals received from one or more sensors of the stomach-volume reducing device.

42. The system of claim 26, further including circuitry configured to operate one or more appetite suppressant delivery control units that are operably coupled to one or more receivers that are configured to receive one or more signals that include information related to at least one chemical within a subject.

43. The system of claim 26, further including circuitry configured to operate one or more ports in the stomach-volume-reducing device.

44. The system of claim 26, further including circuitry configured to operate the reversibly responsive expandable device housing.