53 results about "Esophageal wall" patented technology

Several methods and apparatus are available for treating patients that suffer from both gastro-esophageal reflux disorder and hiatal hernias. In order to treat these patients, an endoscopic probe may be used to push the herniated stomach below the diaphragm. In some embodiments, a two-part stent comprising a funnel stent and a reverse stent may be deployed to prevent a future re-herniation of the stomach and to reduce the annulus of the lower esophageal sphincter. In some embodiments, a reverse stent with perforating barbs may be deployed, in which the barbs penetrate the esophageal wall and attach to the diaphragm. In some embodiments, the crus muscles may be sutured together to reduce the hiatus size and a reverse stent may be deployed to reduce the annulus of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Disclosed is a device and method for accessing the lower esophageal sphincter through the esophagus. In one embodiment, a catheter is inserted through the mouth or nose of a patient and advanced to the region of the diaphragm. Under fluoroscopy or endoscopy, a hollow needle at the distal end of the catheter punctures the wall of the esophagus from the inside so that the distal end of the needle is positioned outside the esophagus. An implant is next advanced out through the hollow needle to the region outside the sphincter where it is deflected and coerced to bluntly dissect around the circumference of the esophagus, where the implant is left in place to heal. The hollow needle is removed and the esophageal wall is allowed to heal. Subsequent diametric adjustment of the implant allows for tightening or loosening of the sphincter to minimize gastric reflux. The device and method can also be used to treat the pyloric or other body sphincters, hollow organs, or ducts.

Implantable devices for use in a non-sterile environment of a patient's anatomy are medicated or include medication. For example, the housing of the device and/or members for securing the device to the patient's anatomy (e.g., the muscular esophageal wall) may be medicated to, among other things, prevent a rejection mechanism from being triggered, to prevent or reduce bacterial infection, or to promote tissue ingrowth. The medication may be for medicating tissue at the implant site, or for medicating some other portion of the patient's anatomy.

The current invention describes methods of transesophageal access to the neck and thorax to perform surgical interventions on structures outside the esophagus in both the cervical and the thoracic cavity. It describes a liner device made of a complete or partial tubular structure, or a flat plate, the liner having means to facilitate creation of a side opening, which may include a valve. The liner with its side opening form a port structure inside the esophageal lumen. The port structure allows elongated surgical devices to pass through a perforation across the full thickness of the esophageal wall to outside location, in a controlled way. The elongated surgical devices can be diagnostic scopes, therapeutic scopes, manual elongated surgical devices, robotic arms or the like. After being deployed outside the esophagus, the surgical devices can access structures outside the esophagus, in the neck and thorax in 360 degrees of freedom around the esophageal circumference. These structures can be bony, cartilaginous, spinal, vascular, soft tissue, deep tissues, lymph nodal, cardiac, pulmonary, tracheal, nervous, muscular or diaphragmatic, skin and subcutaneous tissues of the neck, skin and subcutaneous tissues of the anterior chest wall, skin and subcutaneous tissues of the skin of the back, and skin and layers of the breast.

The present disclosure provides stents, particularly self-expanding stents, useful for the GI tract, and more particularly, useful for treating esophageal strictures. The stents provided herein include a medial region and proximal and distal cuffs having external diameters greater than the medial region diameter when the stent is in the deployed state. The medial region comprises an open weave wire construction. An elastomeric coating circumscribes the medial region, while the may be an extension of the wire construction or separate elements. Preferably, the cuffs have a textured surface for contact with the esophageal wall tissue to resist stent migration. The elastomer coated medial region provides a barrier to tissue ingrowth, and has an enhanced radial restoring force to maintain an open passageway in a body lumen. Optionally, the stent includes an exterior sheath with a surface pattern, to which the stent couples. A low durometer sleeve, between the stent and body lumen, axial positioning of the stent relative to the body lumen. Consequently, precision in stent placement is provided without tissue damage that could result if positioning motion occurred between the surface texture and the body lumen.

The invention discloses a degradable magnesium alloy esophageal stent for infants. The esophageal stent comprises annular single bodies, connecting points and projections, wherein each annular single body is formed in the way that a magnesium alloy metal wire is folded in the shape of W and connected to form a cylindrical shape; the annular single bodies have elasticity; bending parts are formed at the two ends of each annular single body; the annular single bodies are axially connected with one another in series by the connecting points; the bottom of each projection is positioned at each connecting point; the top end of each projection is positioned on the outer side of the esophageal stent; and after the magnesium alloy esophageal stent is expanded and released, the projections can be embedded into the esophageal wall and are used for fixing the stent. The degradable magnesium alloy esophageal stent for infants is formed by connecting a plurality of annular single bodies and the length of the esophageal stent can be determined by the number of the connected annular single bodies, so the requirements of the infants suffering from esophageal stenosis are met; the projections on the outer surface of the stent can be embedded into the inner wall of the esophagus and are used for fixing the stent to prevent the stent from moving or slipping off; and the stent can be degraded and absorbed by a human body and the degradation products have no toxicity, so growth and development of infantile patients are not influenced.

The invention discloses an endoscopic esophageal variceal ligation apparatus which comprises a ligation outer tube and an endoscope connecting base. The ligation outer tube is in a cone shape of which the front part is thin and the rear part is thick; a ligation inner tube is arranged in the ligation outer tube; the front end of the ligation inner tube is in sealing connection with the front end of the ligation outer tube; the rear end of the ligation inner tube is connected with a negative pressure suction tube; a plurality of positioning holes are distributed at an equal interval front and back on the side wall of the ligation outer tube; a positioning pin is arranged in each positioning hole; a pulling ring is arranged at the inner end of each positioning pin; the pulling rings of a plurality of positioning pins are fixedly connected with a stay wire; the ligation outer tube is sleeved with rubber rings of which the number is equal to that of the positioning pins; each rubber ring is respectively limited by one positioning pin to be prevented from sliding forwards by the self. The endoscopic esophageal variceal ligation apparatus has a simple, small and compact structure, can be used for continuously carrying out ligation and is high in efficiency; the endoscopic esophageal variceal ligation apparatus is convenient and rapid to operate and works stably and ligation success efficiency is improved; moreover, the esophageal wall cannot be contused, so that pain of a patient is reduced and the infection risk is reduced.

A device blocks emesis and/or reflex and includes a tube insertable into the esophagus. The tube includes an inflation lumen. A valve is carried by the tube and includes a flexible sheath having an upper edge secured onto the tube and a lower circumferential edge. An inflatable balloon is associated with the flexible sheath and in communication with the inflation lumen. Upon inflation of the balloon, the flexible sheath opens in a concave configuration towards the stomach and the unsecured lower circumferential edge engages the esophageal wall and blocks emesis and/or reflux from the stomach passing into the esophagus past the valve.

A device to block emesis and/or reflux includes a tube insertable into the esophagus. A valve is carried by the tube and includes a flexible sheath having an upper edge secured onto the tube and an unsecured lower circumferential edge and configured such that upon contact with emesis and/or reflux from the stomach, the flexible sheath opens in a concave configuration towards the stomach and the unsecured lower circumferential edge engages the esophageal wall and blocks emesis and/or reflux from the stomach passing into the esophagus past the valve.

The invention relates to a fully fitting esophageal stent complying with esophageal peristalsis. The esophageal stent is composed of three sections in smooth connection with each other, wherein the sections at the two ends are thick and the section in the middle is thin; the two end sections have a shape of cylinder encircled by a single-layer net; the middle section is formed by spirally winding a bar-shaped screen mesh in equal width; an upper hook is arranged at the upper end of the bar-shaped screen mesh; a lower hook is arranged at the lower end of the bar-shaped screen mesh; the upper hook and the lower hook are buckled with each other when the bar-shaped screen mesh is spirally wound; the cross section of the bar-shaped screen mesh is of step shape. The esophageal stent is formed by spirally winding the bar-shaped screen mesh in equal width, so that the esophageal stent has flexibility and following capacity, the esophageal peristalsis can be extremely transferred to the food and the food can be more easily swallowed; the displacement resistance of the esophageal stent can be further enhanced by the following capacity of the esophageal stent; the influences of the stent on the esophageal function and structure are greatly improved; the stent is more comfortable for the patient and is fully fit with human esophageal wall; the trachea is extremely prevented from being pressed by the stent.

Systems, methods and devices, for stimulating one or more esophageal muscle contractions are provided. The system, methods, and devices may be designed to evoke motion and/or restore function in one or more organs that are located distal to the lower esophageal sphincter. A controller and a generator may be used to transmit signals to one or more electrodes in a tube placed in a patient's GI tract. In some aspect, the generator is configures to generate a series of pulses for one or more periods of time. In some aspects, a preliminary pulse is transmitted to narrow and esophageal portion such that an esophageal wall is in contact with at least one electrode thus lowering the nominal stimulation threshold.

A method of laparoscopically implanting an electrically stimulating lead proximate the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) of a patient includes delivering the lead through a port of a laparoscope inserted into the abdominal cavity of the patient through an incision in the abdominal wall. The stimulating electrode is implanted in or proximate the muscularis layer of the lower esophageal wall to treat esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The lead includes a needle and suture at its distal end for pulling the electrode into the muscular wall of the LES. Clips are applied to the suture attached to the distal end of the lead to prevent retrograde movement of the electrode. The lead also includes an anchoring member for anchoring the portion of the lead proximal to the electrode. The method and lead used with the method allow the surgeon to work within the confined anatomy present at the gastroesophageal junction and prevents backwards movement and dislodgment of the electrode. The implantation procedure can be combined with a hiatal hernia repair to repair the hernia and prevent recurrence of a hiatal hernia.

The present invention provides a device and system useful as a new diagnostic modality to differentiate the etiology of heartburn/chest pain by measuring esophageal blood flow. Furthermore, the device and system of the present invention can be used as a new diagnostic modality to differentiate the etiology of abdominal pain by measuring blood in the wall of gastrointestinal tract including rectum and colon blood flow.

The invention discloses an instrument capable of preventing esophageal stenosis for ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection) post-operation. The instrument is used for later period heal of esophagus cancer submucosal dissection and prevention of the esophageal stenosis. The instrument comprises three balloons, an inflation tube is arranged in each balloon, the three inflation tubes are not communicated each other, a through hole is formed in each inflation tube and communicated with the inflation tube and the corresponding balloon, the balloons are positioned on the upper portion, and the middleand the low portion of a chest to support a whole esophageal wall. The instrument is additionally provided with a drainage tube, a stomach tube and a duodenal tube, the drainage tube is used for leading out saliva, the stomach tube is used for sucking out gas or liquid in a gastrointestinal tract, and the duodenal tube is used for conveying nutrition to a patient. The instrument is simple in structure and applicable to industrial production.

The invention discloses a self-service esophageal stenosis dilator capable of gradually increasing the expanding diameter and a method, and belongs to the technical field of medical instruments. The self-service esophageal stenosis dilator with the gradually-increased expanding diameter comprises a dilation mechanism which comprises an air guide pipe, a positioning air bag and a dilation air bag, wherein the air guide pipe is provided with a first through hole, a second through hole, a first air vent and a second air vent, one end of the first through hole is communicated with the positioning air bag through the first air vent, the other end of the first through hole is communicated with the dilation air bag through the second air vent, and one end of the second through hole is communicated with the expansion airbag through the second vent; an injector which is provided with scales; and an air valve mechanism which is used for switching the injection port to be communicated with the first through hole or the second through hole. By using the esophageal dilator provided by the invention, the stenosis of the esophagus can be easily and accurately positioned. The esophageal dilator can ensure that the pressure applied by the air bag to the esophageal wall is within the maximum dilation pressure capable of being borne by the esophageal wall.