43 results about "Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding" patented technology

A method and apparatus for treatment of an eating disorder includes electrically, mechanically and/or pharmaceutically/chemically stimulating a of the vagus nerve of the lower esophagus, cardia, esophageal/cardia junction, cardia/fundus junction or upper stomach so as to induce afferent action potentials on the vagus nerve. The device may be noninvasively adjusted after implantation to provide increased or decreased restriction on the patient's gastrointestinal tract. Each stimulus may be administered as a series of programmed pulses of defined amplitude, duration and period, to evoke a responsive signal to the brain by the target nerve, effective for producing a temporary feeling of satiety in the person. An implantable stimulus generator may be operatively coupled to a nerve electrode, pressure device or chemical outlet to apply a defined signal to a selected nerve branch. The implantable stimulus generator is programmable to allow clinician programming of defined signal parameters effective to treat the eating disorder of the patient. Methods are also provided to identify electrodes nearest to a branch of the vagus nerve to apply an electrical stimulation signal with improved efficiency.

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.

A food intake restriction device for forming a restriction in a patient's gastro-intestinal tract and non-invasively communicating pressure data regarding the restriction to an external monitor. The device includes a food intake restriction device implanted substantially about a patient's gastro-intestinal tract to form a restricted opening in the tract. A port is connected to the restriction device. The port contains a working fluid for affecting the size of the restricted opening. A pressure sensing system communicates with the working fluid to measure the pressure of the working fluid. A transmitter communicates the measured fluid pressure to the external monitor.

A remotely controlled gastric band system that is practically immune to external magnetic fields, such as from a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, incorporates a bi-directional pump and fluid reservoir to adjust fluid volume for hydraulic control of a gastric band. A piezoelectric driver (e.g., rotary actuator, linear actuator) selectively compresses and expands a metal bellows hermetically sealed within a biocompatible and nonferromagnetic enclosure or case such as titanium. Directly sensing a position of the metal bellows yields an accurate reading of volume contained therein, allowing for closed-loop control of the gastric band.

A self-regulating gastric band apparatus for adjusting stoma size. The apparatus includes an adjustable gastric band that has an inner ring expanding with injected fluid. A band adjustment assembly is provided for implanting with the gastric band that includes a sensor for sensing fluid pressure in the inner ring. The band adjustment assembly further includes a pump assembly connected to the expandable inner ring and to a controller that can operate the pump assembly to adjust the volume of the fluid in the band based on the sensed fluid pressure. The band adjustment assembly includes memory storing an operating range relative to a target fluid pressure, and the pump assembly is operated to maintain the sensed band pressure within the operating range. The target pressure being set to maintain pressure variations below a predefined variation limit generally corresponding with satiated fill volumes for a particular patient and implanted band. An elongated fluid reservoir may extend along a substantial part of a fill tube. A balloon-like expandable fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the pump assembly may store a volume of the fluid for adjusting the volume of fluid in the lumen. A protective outer sheath may be provided around the exterior of an expandable fluid reservoir in both a first, deflated state, and a second, inflated state of the reservoir.

A transdermally actuated gastric banding assembly is provided which includes an adjustable gastric band, a drive assembly and a transmission assembly positioned between the driver assembly and the adjustable gastric band. The drive assembly includes an internal component configured to be mounted within the body of the patient and an external component configured to operate transdermally so as to affect movement of the internal component. At least one of the internal and external components includes a magnetized member. A proximal end of the transmission assembly is connected to the internal component. A distal end of the transmission assembly is connected to a movable portion of the adjustable gastric band. In one embodiment, the internal component is mounted for rotational movement. In a further embodiment, at least one of the internal component and external component includes a plurality of magnetized members situated asymmetrically about a circumference of the at least one internal and external component.

An implanted fluid access port locator system for adjustable gastric bands. The system may include an access port having an RFID tag with its antenna adjacent to the receiving portion of the port. An external locator with radio frequency transmitter/receiver circuitry sends read or interrogation signals to the RFID tag and may send write signals to the tag to write treatment data to memory of the RFID tag. The locator may include an antenna array with four patch antenna arranged in pairs to model two monopulse radar antenna systems. The locator also includes processor(s) and logic modules/circuitry for processing the tag response signals received by the antenna array to determine location information for the RFID tag and associated port, i.e., to identify the center of the port relative to the antennae array or array face such as with strength and direction information relative to the array face. A method of locating implanted fluid access port includes providing radio frequency transmitter/receiver circuitry on the access port and manipulating a handheld locator outside the body to pinpoint the position and orientation of the access port. A mark may be made with a handheld locator to direct insertion of a needle for adding or removing fluid from an implanted system through the access port.

An implantable surgical device including an elongated flexible inflatable portion, an elongated flexible and substantially inextensible band portion. The band portion has a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis therebetween. The band portion is attached to the inflatable portion along an inner face thereof. The band portion and/or the inflatable portion is at least partially coated with an anti-microbial coating.

A remotely adjustable gastric band system is provided. The system includes a gastric band, an implantable fluid reservoir, and a fluid handling device including a piezoelectric pump, and a drive or controller assembly. The piezoelectric pump includes a diaphragm having a compressible spring positioned at an actuator side of the diaphragm, and a space occupying layer disposed between the compressible spring and the actuator side.

A gastric restrictive device positionable around a human stomach to limit the flow of food therethrough is provided with structure for facilitating suturing of the gastric restrictive device to the stomach and thereby preventing movement of the gastric restrictive device relative to the stomach.

An inflatable, adjustable gastric band includes a flexible, hollow, resilient band; and a flexible inflation tube connected to the band and complementary closing means that are capable of mutually engaging so as to lock a ring in a closed position. The ring formed by bringing the distal end and the proximal end of the band together into a slipknot. The hollow band has, in an inoperative position, a preformed curved portion which is extended, by a substantially rectilinear portion, from the proximal end area thereof to the free distal end of the band. The substantially rectilinear portion being suitable for facilitating the insertion of the proximal end of the tube through the loop(s) of the band, and in that the hollow band has, on the outer wall thereof, two loops, said loops being arranged on the substantially rectilinear portion of the hollow band.

A food intake restriction device for forming a restriction in a patient's gastro-intestinal tract and non-invasively communicating pressure data regarding the restriction to an external monitor. The device includes a food intake restriction device implanted substantially about a patient's gastro-intestinal tract to form a restricted opening in the tract. A port is connected to the restriction device. The port contains a working fluid for affecting the size of the restricted opening. A pressure sensing system communicates with the working fluid to measure the pressure of the working fluid. A transmitter communicates the measured fluid pressure to the external monitor.