초록 ▼

An apparatus for forming a gastric restriction comprises an applier, an expandable member, and an adhesive. The applier comprises an elongate shaft, and is dimensioned to fit in an esophagus. The applier has a conduit configured to communicate a fluid medium. The expandable member is in fluid commun

An apparatus for forming a gastric restriction comprises an applier, an expandable member, and an adhesive. The applier comprises an elongate shaft, and is dimensioned to fit in an esophagus. The applier has a conduit configured to communicate a fluid medium. The expandable member is in fluid communication with the conduit of the applier. The adhesive is positioned on at least a portion of the outer surface of the expandable member. The adhesive is configured to adhere the expanded expandable member to the inner wall of a patient's stomach. The expandable member may have a generally toroid configuration with a stoma, such that the expandable member may provide a gastric restriction when expanded and adhered to the inner wall of a patient's stomach. The expandable member may thus provide a treatment for morbid obesity by reducing food intake, by reducing stomach volume, or otherwise.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of using an applier, an expandable member, and an adhesive to form a gastric flow restriction, wherein the applier comprises an elongate shaft and a distal tip, wherein the elongate shaft comprises a sheath retractable in a longitudinal direction relative to the shaft

What is claimed is: 1. A method of using an applier, an expandable member, and an adhesive to form a gastric flow restriction, wherein the applier comprises an elongate shaft and a distal tip, wherein the elongate shaft comprises a sheath retractable in a longitudinal direction relative to the shaft, wherein the sheath is configured such that the adhesive will not adhere to the sheath despite contact, wherein the applier is dimensioned to fit in an esophagus, wherein the applier has a conduit configured to communicate a fluid medium, wherein the expandable member is in fluid communication with the conduit of the applier, wherein the expandable member is configured to expand from a non-expanded configuration to an expanded configuration, wherein the expandable member has an outer surface, wherein a portion of the expandable member defines an opening that extends through the expandable member, wherein the shaft is positioned within the opening of the expandable member such that the shaft extends through the expandable member, wherein the applier further comprises one or more arms, wherein the one or more arms are configured to deploy about a respective pivot, the method comprising:(a) inserting the applier and the expandable member through a patient's esophagus until the expandable member and at least a portion of the applier reach the patient's stomach, wherein the applier is positioned such that the applier extends through the opening of the expandable member with the distal tip positioned below the expandable member during the act of inserting;(b) retracting the sheath in a longitudinal direction relative to the shaft while the shaft remains positioned within the opening of the expandable member;(c) deploying the one or more arms, wherein the act of deploying the one or more arms comprises extending the one or more arms in an outward motion sweeping proximally towards the sheath such that extending the one or more arms results in forming a substantially horizontal platform, wherein the substantially horizontal platform is configured and positioned to support the expandable member;(d) expanding the expandable member within the patient's stomach, wherein the act of expanding comprises communicating a fluid medium through the conduit while the shaft remains positioned within the opening of the expandable member, wherein the act of expanding comprises resting at least a portion of the expandable member on the substantially horizontal platform formed by the one or more arms, wherein the distal tip acts as a barrier to prevent the lower portion of the stomach from interfering with the expandable member during the act of expanding the expandable member;(e) adhering a portion of the outer surface of the expanded expandable member to the inner wall of the patient's stomach with the adhesive to form a gastric flow restriction within the patient's stomach, wherein at least a portion of the gastric flow restriction is defined by the opening within the expandable member;(f) retracting the one or more arms, wherein the act of retracting the one or more arms comprises inwardly sweeping the one or more arms such that the one or more arms sweep distally to position the one or more arms substantially parallel to the elongate shaft; and(g) removing the applier from the patient's stomach by removing the shaft from the opening of the expandable member.