Method for controlling flow of intestinal contents in a patient's intestines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10136979-B2
Application number	US-201615262050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 11, 2007
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

There is provided a method for controlling a flow of intestinal contents in the intestinal passageway of a patient's intestines. The method comprises gently constricting (i.e., without substantially hampering the blood circulation in the intestinal tissue wall) at least one portion of the intestinal tissue wall to influence the flow in the intestinal passageway, and stimulating the constricted wall portion to cause contraction of the wall portion to further influence the flow in the intestinal passageway. The method can be used for restricting or stopping the flow in the intestinal passageway, or for actively moving the fluid in the intestinal passageway, with a low risk of injuring the intestines.

First claim

I claim:

1. An intestinal dysfunction treatment apparatus comprising:
an implantable constriction device configured to gently constrict at least one wall portion of a tissue wall of a patient's intestines to restrict a flow of intestinal contents in an intestinal passageway of the intestine's,
a stimulation device configured to stimulate the at least one wall portion of the tissue wall, and
a control device configured to be operable to control the stimulation device to stimulate the at least one wall portion, as the constriction device constricts the at least one wall portion, to cause contraction of the at least one wall portion to further restrict the flow of intestinal contents, wherein the control device is configured to control the constriction device to adjust the constriction of the at least one wall portion, and the control device is configured to control the constriction and stimulation devices independently of each other,
wherein the control device is configured to calibrate the constriction of the at least one wall portion by stimulating the at least one wall portion while adjusting, the constriction of the at least one wall portion until a desired restriction of the flow of intestinal contents in the intestinal passageway is obtained.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the constriction device is adapted to constrict the at least one wall portion to a constricted state in which blood circulation in the constricted at least one wall portion is substantially unrestricted and the flow in the intestinal passageway is at least restricted, and the control device controls the stimulation device to cause contraction of the at least one wall portion, so that the flow in the intestinal passageway is at least further restricted when the at least one wall portion is kept by the constriction device in the constricted state, and wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device to intermittently and individually electrically stimulate different areas of the at least one wall portion in the constricted state with electric pulses.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the constriction device to adjust the constriction of the at least one wall portion, and
the control device is configured to control the stimulation device to stimulate or not to stimulate the at least one wall portion, while the control device controls the constriction device to adjust the constriction of the at least one wall portion.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control, device is configured to control the constriction device to adjust the constriction of the at least one wall portion, such that the flow in the intestinal passageway is restricted but not stopped, and
is configured to control the stimulation device to stimulate the constricted at least one wall portion to cause contraction thereof, such that the flow in the intestinal passageway is further restricted but not stopped, or
is configured to control the stimulation device in a first mode to stimulate the constricted wall portion to stop the flow in the intestinal passageway and is configured to control the stimulation device in a second mode to cease stimulating the at least one wall portion to allow flow in the intestinal passageway.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the constriction device to, adjust the constriction of the at least one wall portion, such that the flow in the intestinal passageway is substantially stopped, and is configured to control the stimulation device to stimulate the constricted at least one wall portion to cause contraction thereof, such that the flow in the intestinal passageway is completely stopped, and wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device in a first mode to stimulate the constricted at least one wall portion to completely stop the flow in the intestinal passageway and is configured to control the stimulation device in a second mode to cease stimulating the at least one wall portion to allow flow in the intestinal passageway, or is configured to control in the second mode the stimulation device to cease the stimulation of the at least one wall portion and the constriction device to release the at least one wall portion to restore the flow in the intestinal passageway.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the constriction device in a first mode to constrict the constricted at least one wall portion to stop the flow in the intestinal passageway and is configured to control the constriction device in a second mode to cease the constriction of the at least one wall portion to restore the flow in the intestinal passageway.

7. The apparatus according to of claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises a manually operable switch for switching on and off the constriction device and/or stimulation device, the switch being adapted for subcutaneous implantation in the patient to be manually operated from outside the patient's body.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the constriction device is configured to normally keep the at least one wall portion in a constricted state, in which blood circulation in the constricted at least one wall portion is substantially unrestricted and the flow in the intestinal passageway is at least restricted, wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device in a first mode to stimulate the constricted, at least one wall portion to cause contraction thereof to further restrict but not stop the flow in the intestinal passageway, or configured to stimulate the constricted at least one wall portion to cause contraction thereof, such that the flow in the intestinal passageway is stopped, and wherein the control device controls the stimulation device in a second mode to cease stimulating the at least one wall portion to increase the flow in the intestinal passageway.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device to adjust an intensity of a stimulation of the at least one wall portion m response to a sensed physical parameter attic patient or a functional parameter of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device to stimulate the constricted at least one wall portion to cause contraction thereof, such that the flow in the intestinal passageway is stopped, and wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device to increase an intensity of a stimulation in response to a sensed parameter related to an increase of pressure in the intestinal passageway, such that the flow in the intestinal passageway remains stopped, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a sensor for sensing a physical parameter of the patient that relates to the pressure in the intestinal passageway, and the control device is configured to control the stimulation device in response to signals from the sensor, wherein the physical parameter is related to a pressure in the patient's body and the sensor is a pressure-related sensor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device to intermittently and individually stimulate different areas of the at least one wall portion, such that at least two of the areas are stimulated at different points of time, and wherein the control device is configured to control the stimulation device to intermittently stimulate
each area of the different areas of the at least one wall portion during successive tim

Assignees

• Forsell Peter

Inventors

• Forsell Peter

Classifications

• A61F2/004 Primary

  inflatable · CPC title

• A61B17/32

  Surgical cutting instruments ({A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467;} implements for ligaturing and cutting {A61B17/122, A61B17/12; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133}) · CPC title

• A61B5/4255

  Intestines, colon or appendix · CPC title

• A61F2007/126

  for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels · CPC title

• A61B5/0053

  by applying pressure, e.g. compression, indentation, palpation, grasping, gauging · CPC title