Self-adjusting gastric band having various compliant components

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present invention generally provides self-adjusting gastric banding systems for the treatment of obesity and obesity related conditions, as well as systems for allowing the automatic self-adjustment of gastric bands when a patient swallows a large bolus. In some embodiments, the present invention generally provides for gastric banding systems having a satiety booster, for example, to increase satiety levels when a patient desires to curb appetite at a particular time. In some embodiments, the present invention may provide for gastric banding systems that allow for both the automatic self-adjustment of gastric bands when a patient swallows a large bolus and an incorporated satiety booster for increasing satiety levels when a patient desires to curb appetite at a particular time.

1 . A self-adjusting gastric band for the treatment of obesity that adjusts to provide a satiety boost to a patient, the self-adjusting gastric band comprising:
 an inflatable portion disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient;   an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion via tubing to fill and drain the inflatable portion; and   a satiety boosting bladder fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port, the satiety boosting bladder being configured to transfer fluid to the inflatable portion in response to an external pressure exerted on the satiety boosting bladder.   
     
     
         2 . The gastric band of  claim 1  further comprising a compliant portion coupled to at least one of the inflatable portion, the access port, the tubing or the satiety boosting bladder, the compliant portion configured to automatically relax the construction formed by the gastric band and allow a large bolus to pass through the constriction. 
     
     
         3 . The gastric band of  claim 2  further comprising a ring coupled to the inflatable portion for providing structure and support to the inflatable portion, wherein the ring facilitates disposing the inflatable portion about the esophageal-gastric junction. 
     
     
         4 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is configured to transfer fluid to the inflatable portion in response to the patient pressing on the area of skin closest to the satiety boosting bladder. 
     
     
         5 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is configured to transfer fluid to the inflatable portion in response to the patient breathing, talking, or moving. 
     
     
         6 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is ellipsoidal, circular, or rectangularly shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is a series of uniformly sized cylindrical bladders, a series of non-uniformly sized cylindrical bladders, or a coiled bladder. 
     
     
         8 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is located between a skin layer and a rectus muscle fascia layer within a body of the patient. 
     
     
         9 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder comprises a wall of varying thickness. 
     
     
         10 . The gastric band of  claim 9  wherein the wall comprises a tapered portion near the center of the satiety boosting bladder. 
     
     
         11 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port via a “T-connector”. 
     
     
         12 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the access port via a “Y-connector”. 
     
     
         13 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder comprises a fluid flow rate controlling device, the fluid flow rate controlling device including:
 a valve, and 
 a flow restrictor. 
 
     
     
         14 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is further configured to receive fluid from the inflatable portion. 
     
     
         15 . A gastric banding system for the treatment of obesity that provides a satiety boost to a patient in response to the patient pressing on a portion of the gastric banding system, the gastric banding system comprising:
 a gastric band having an inflatable portion and a ring coupled to the inflatable portion to facilitate disposing the gastric band about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient;   an access port in fluid communication with the gastric band, the access port configured to receive a needle and providing the gastric band system with fluid; and   a satiety boosting bladder in fluid communication with the gastric band and the access port, the satiety boosting bladder configured to transfer fluid to the inflatable portion of the gastric band in response to external pressure exerted on the satiety boosting bladder.   
     
     
         16 . The gastric banding system of  claim 15  further comprising a compliant portion fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion, the access port, and the satiety boosting bladder, the compliant portion for removing the amount of fluid from the inflatable portion to allow a large bolus of food swallowed by the patient to pass through a constriction in the patient's stomach formed by the gastric band. 
     
     
         17 . The gastric banding system of  claim 16  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is non-compliant. 
     
     
         18 . The gastric band of  claim 1  wherein the satiety boosting bladder is ellipsoidally shaped, circularly shaped, rectangularly shaped, is a series of uniformly sized cylindrical bladders, or is a series of non-uniformly sized cylindrical bladders or a coiled bladder. 
     
     
         19 . A gastric banding system for the treatment of obesity that adjusts a gastric band when a large bolus of food is swallowed by a patient or when the patient presses on his skin to activate a satiety booster, the system comprising:
 an inflatable portion of the gastric band, the gastric band being disposable about an esophageal-gastric junction of the patient;   a ring coupled to the inflatable portion for providing support to the inflatable portion and for securing the inflatable portion around the patient's stomach, wherein the ring flexes in response to the large bolus to facilitate allowing the large bolus to pass through a constriction formed by the gastric band;   a first compliant portion fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion for automatically receiving a first amount of fluid from the inflatable portion when the large bolus enters the esophageal-gastric junction, to assist in relaxing the constriction formed by the gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction;   a non-compliant bladder fluidly coupled to the gastric band, the non-compliant bladder providing an increase of satiety to a patient by transferring fluid to the inflatable portion in response to the patient pressing on his skin;   an access port fluidly coupled to the inflatable portion and the bladder via tubing to fill and drain the inflatable portion and the bladder; and   a second compliant portion fluidly coupled to the access port for automatically receiving a second amount of fluid from the access port when the large bolus enters the esophageal-gastric junction, to assist in relaxing the constriction formed by the gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction.   
     
     
         20 . The gastric banding system of  claim 19  further comprising a third compliant portion fluidly coupled to the tubing for automatically receiving a third amount of fluid from the tubing when the large bolus enters the esophageal-gastric junction, to assist in relaxing the constriction formed by the gastric band and allowing the large bolus to pass through the constriction.