1702results about "Obesity treatment" patented technology

The present invention provides devices and methods for attachment of an implanted device, such as an artificial stoma device, a gastrointestinal sleeve device or an attachment cuff, within a patient's digestive tract for treatment of obesity. Special surgical fasteners provide a lasting and durable attachment to the gastrointestinal tissue without causing excessive pressure that could result in tissue erosion and detachment of the implanted device. Fastener delivery devices that facilitate peroral placement and deployment of fasteners and secondary devices are also provided. Also described are implantable devices and attachment means that avoid causing excessive pressure within the tissue by having compliance that is compatible with the gastrointestinal tissues where it is attached.

Endoscopic devices methods and devices are provided for attaching opposed walls of tissue. The methods and devices can be used to deliver a plurality of fasteners to opposed tissues, and suture extending through the fasteners can be used to pull the tissues together. The suture can be pre-woven through the fasteners, thus allowing for a quick and simply deployment. While the various methods and devices disclosed herein can be used in a variety of procedures, in certain exemplary embodiments the methods and devices are used to pull together opposed walls of the stomach to form a stomach pouch within the stomach which reduces the rate of gastric emptying.

Methods and devices for effecting a gastric restriction system are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a restriction system for forming a restriction in a patient is provided and can include an implantable restriction device and at least one implantable sensor that is in communication with the restriction device. In general, the implantable restriction device can be adjustable and can be configured to form a restriction in a patient. The implantable sensor(s) can be defaulted to a dormant power usage mode and can have a triggering mechanism that is configured to place the sensor(s) in a use configuration upon the occurrence of a triggering event.

A reloadable device for deploying fasteners including a handle and at least one actuator. The handle is connected to an elongated hollow housing having distal and proximal ends. The device also includes a first cartridge containing at least one fastener releasably connectable to the distal end of hollow housing. The fastener has at least two anchors connected together by a non-resilient flexible suture which does not resist deformation under compressible loads. The device also includes a means for facilitating removal the first cartridge and replacing it with a second cartridge.

Apparatus and methods are provided for partitioning a gastro-intestinal lumen by intraluminally reducing a local cross-sectional area thereof. The apparatus comprises a plurality of anchors adapted for intraluminal penetration into a wall of the gastro-intestinal lumen to prevent migration or dislodgement of the apparatus, and a partition, which may include a drawstring or a toroidal balloon, coupled to the plurality of anchors to provide a local reduction in the cross-sectional area of the gastro-intestinal lumen.

Methods and devices for use in tissue approximation and fixation are described herein. The present invention provides, in part, methods and devices for acquiring tissue folds in a circumferential configuration within a hollow body organ, e.g., a stomach, positioning the tissue folds for affixing within a fixation zone of the stomach, preferably to create a pouch or partition below the esophagus, and fastening the tissue folds such that a tissue ring, or stomas, forms excluding the pouch from the greater stomach cavity. The present invention further provides for a liner or bypass conduit which is affixed at a proximal end either to the tissue ring or through some other fastening mechanism. The distal end of the conduit is left either unanchored or anchored within the intestinal tract. This bypass conduit also includes a fluid bypass conduit which allows the stomach and a portion of the intestinal tract to communicate.

Devices and methods for improved soft tissue securement are disclosed, and, in particular, to tissue anchoring elements and deployment thereof. Such tissue anchoring elements may comprise a linkage element and an array of spreading elements. Endoscopic devices and methods are disclosed for deploying multiple anchoring elements to multiple sites and manipulating at least some of the associated linkage elements to approximate selected sites. Applications of such endoscopic devices and methods may include endoluminal therapy such as gastroplasty, which may be used for the treatment of obesity and gastroesophageal disease. Such devices and methods may also include the attachment of a foreign body to a tissue mass. Further aspects of the invention include devices and methods for the modification of mechanical properties of the anchoring sites so as to decrease the likelihood that anchoring elements will pull out. Such modification may include irritating or injuring the tissue within the anchoring sites, thereby causing a healing or scarification response, or may alternatively include deploying a solidifying agent within the anchoring sites.