Inamed Development Company

Apollo Endosurgery, Inc.

Vernon L Vincent

Frederick L Coe

Kristopher Turner

Dustin B Leslie

A tool is described which is useful for tightening a band or ligature having a buckle end and a free end during laparoscopic surgery. The tool comprises outer and inner elongate, slidably mounted cylindrical members. The outer member, which is slotted, has mounted on the distal end thereof a member for grasping the buckle end of a ligature. The inner member has a grasping portion mounted thereon and projecting through a slot in the outer member which is suitable for releasably engaging the free end of the ligature. In practice, the free end of the ligature is brought around to encircle a tissue and passed through a conduit within the buckle portion of the ligature, much as one threads a belt end through a buckle prior to cinching tight and fastening. The buckle portion preferably has a tab projecting therefrom with a hole therein which accommodates the buckle grasping member on the end of the outer member. The buckle grasping member is preferably a post or stationary pin which is inserted into the hole in the tab on the buckle portion. The free end of the end of the ligature has a special site for receiving and releasably engaging the free end grasping portion (fork) of the tool. A manually induced sliding motion of the inner member with respect to the outer member pulls the free end of the ligature a fixed distance through the buckle until a locking member engages the ligature within the buckle preventing removal of the free end therefrom. The buckle grasping member and the free end grasping member can be in opposite positions on the tool if anatomical circumstances are better suited by the arrangement.

Laparoscopic tool

A gastric band for placement around the stomach is described which is useful for the treatment and control of morbid obesity. The gastric band has an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface has an inflatable member disposed thereon which substantially completely covers the inner surface of the band. A remote fill port is in fluid communication with the interior of the inflatable member. The gastric band is invasively placed in an encircling position around the stomach by the facile closure of a single fastening means. After the band is fastened around the stomach, a fluid is injected into the inflatable member thereby constricting the stoma of the stomach. Preferably, measuring means situated within the stomach provides a measure of the stoma opening. The inflatable member is adjusted so that the stoma opening is at the desired diameter. The advantage of the present gastric band over prior art bands is that adjustment of the tensioning the band prior to inflation is not required inasmuch as the latitude for inflation provided by the enlarged inflatable member enables a versatile range of adjustment.

Universal gastric band

A device facilitating remote removal of an article implanted beneath the skin. In one embodiment, the implantable article comprises a band which is operatively placed to encircle an organ such as the stomach. Once in position, the band is tightened and held securely with sutures thereby preventing the stomach-encircling band from opening. If, following implantation, it becomes necessary or desirable to remove the band, a remotely actuated releasing wire, the end of which wire is implanted at an accessible site beneath the subcutaneous tissue permits the removal of the band without major surgery. In one embodiment, the sutures securing the band in an encircling position are conveniently removed by means of a wire within the band which wire, when retracted by remote activation, releases the retaining sutures and frees the band for removal. Actual removal of the released band is accomplished by pulling the band out of the abdomen and through the superficial incision by means of the wire.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Vernon L Vincent