Other

Inamed Development Company

Mentor Corporation

Lubomyr I Kuzmak

Frederick L Coe

Robert E Hoyt, Jr

A securing or holding element is incorporated into a gastric band to prevent slippage or migration of the gastric band after installation thereof around the stomach to restrict the size of a stoma opening. The securing element includes laterally extending, perforate end portions which are adapted to be secured by suturing to stomach tissue adjacent to the gastric band. The end portions of the securing element can be folded over onto the gastric band to reduce the cross sectional profile presented, and thus facilate introduction into the patient of the gastric band and securing element through a laparoscopic cannula during a laparoscopic procedure employing the band.

Non-slipping gastric band

A blunt laparoscopic dissector device is provided which includes an elongate dissector element including a 'finger-like' flexible distal end portion. A cylinder or barrel member disposed at one end of a pair of pivotable control arms provides rotatable mounting of the dissector element. A control assembly, including a control rod connected to the other control arm and extending along the length of dissector element, exerts a force on the dissector element so as to produce the desired curvature of the flexible distal end portion. A locking mechanism maintains the force on the dissector element so as to maintain the desired curvature. Rotation of the dissector element within the cylinder enables a surgeon to effect control of the movement of the tip thereof while holding the device in a comfortable stationary position.

Finger-like laparoscopic blunt dissector device

An adjustable gastric banding device for regulating the size of a stoma opening in the stomach of a patient includes an elongate band portion that encircles the stomach so as to limit the food intake by the digestive portion of the stomach. The device can be readily implanted and removed using laparoscopic procedures. A locking element protruding from a location near the distal end of the encircling band portion is inserted into a slot formed in a receiving segment at an intermediate location along the encircling band portion so as to form a circle or loop of fixed diameter. The receiving segment has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of the encircling band portion and of the rear portion of the band. A moveable bolt secures the locking element in the slot. The bolt can be displaced remotely, thus releasing the locking element and allowing easy laparoscopic removal of the banding device. The entire circumference of the stomach encircling band portion is covered by an expandable section in contact with the surface of the stomach. The size of the stoma opening can be adjusted by injecting into or removing fluid from the expandable section.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding device and method for

A gastric band adapted for laparoscopic placement around the stomach and a method for deploying the band is described. The band is useful for creating a small pouch with a reinforced stoma in the stomach for the treatment of obesity. A first cannula is introduced into the abdominal cavity. Following gas insufflation, a camera for observing the placement of the band is introduced into the abdominal cavity by means of the first cannula. Two additional second and third cannulas are placed within the abdomen. The gastric band, which has a head end, a tail end and a body portion therebetween, is introduced into the abdomen by means of the second cannula. As the band emerges from the second cannula, an endoscopically-guided snare passed through the third cannula grasps one end of the band and pulls it into an encircling position around the stomach. The tail end of the band is adjustably attached to the head end to form a loop around the stomach. The band is tightened until the stoma has the desired size. The band is then secured against slippage. In a preferred embodiment, the body portion of the band has an inflatable balloon on its stomach-contacting surface. Following implantation, the stoma size in the stomach may be adjusted by removal or injection of fluid into the balloon by means of an injection reservoir.

Laparoscopic gastric band and method

A reversible gastric banding device for creating a stoma opening in the stomach for restricting food intake into the lower digestive portion of the stomach. The band is operatively placed to encircle the stomach. Once in position, it is held securely with sutures on the outside of the stomach thereby prohibiting the encircled stoma opening from expanding. If, following implantation, it becomes necessary or desirable to remove the gastric band, a remotely actuated releasing portion permits the removal of the gastric band without major surgery. In one embodiment, the banding device is conveniently removed by means of a retractable blade within the band which blade, when retracted by remote activation, severs the retaining sutures and frees the band for removal. In addition to having a remotely actuated releasing portion, most preferred embodiments of the device includes a flexible substantially non-extensible band portion having an expandable, balloon-like section that is in fluid communication with a remote injection site. The expandable section is used to adjust the size of the stoma opening.

Reversible stoma-adjustable gastric band

A calibrating apparatus adapted to be inserted into and proceeded within the stomach of human body which includes a single-lumen tubing terminating in a proximal portion and a distal tip each of which have an orifice and wherein the single-lumen tubing has a first opening extending therethrough which is located at a selected distance from the proximal portion and a second opening which extends therethrough and which is located a predetermined distance from the distal tip, an elongated, thin-walled sensor having a circular-cross section and a cavity within the interior thereof and which is operatively coupled in a sealing relationship to the distal tip wherein the thin-walled sensor is capable of having its cross-sectional diameter varied in response to a force applied to the exterior of the sensor to vary the pressure of a fluid within the cavity, a balloon surrounding the exterior of said single-lumen tubing at the preselected location which encloses the second opening and an elongated tubing member which extends through the single-lumen tubing, through the first opening and into communication with the second opening is shown. A method for performing a gastric banding operation on the stomach of a human being utilizing the calibrating apparatus is also shown.

Calibrating apparatus and method of using same for gastric banding

A gastric band device for forming a stoma opening in a stomach for treatment of morbid obesity includes a flexible substantially nonextensible band portion having an expandable section that is expandable and deflatable through an injection site. After the nonextensible band portion has been positioned around the stomach to form the stoma opening, the expandable section is used to adjust the diameter of the stoma opening.

Growing community of inventors

Livingston, NJ, United States of America

Lubomyr I Kuzmak