Methods and apparatus for treating body tissue sphincters and the like

Abstract

A plurality of structures that resiliently attract one another are provided for implanting in a patient around a body tissue structure of the patient. For example, the body tissue structure may be the esophagus, and the plurality of structures may be implanted in an annulus around the outside of the esophagus, the annulus being substantially coaxial with the esophagus. The attraction may be between annularly adjacent ones of the structures in the annulus, and it may be provided, for example, by magnets or springs. The array of structures is preferably self-limiting with respect to the smallest area that it can encompass, and this smallest area is preferably large enough to prevent the apparatus from applying excessive pressure to tissue passing through that area.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . Apparatus for encompassing a patient's body tissue structure and for resiliently applying pressure to the encompassed tissue comprising:
 a band that can be disposed around the tissue structure; and   means for resiliently producing a pleat in the band to reduce but not eliminate an area encompassed by the band.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus defined in  claim 11  wherein the means for resiliently producing comprises:
 a pair of bodies adjacent to one another along the band that are magnetically attracted to one another. 
 
     
     
         13 . A method of treating a patient's body tissue structure comprising:
 surrounding the tissue structure with apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a smallest area that the apparatus encompasses, the smallest area being a non-zero area, the apparatus including a plurality of bodies in an array that can annularly surround the tissue structure so that each of the bodies contacts the tissue structure, each body in the array having a structural link connecting it to a next adjacent body in the array, each of the links allowing the bodies it connects to move apart from one another in a direction that is annular of the array, and each of the links including a stop that is trapped but movable inside one of the bodies it connects for stopping such movement apart of the bodies it connects when spacing between those bodies reaches a maximum spacing, each link being unconnected to any annularly adjacent link except by the body between that link and the annularly adjacent link.   
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein the surrounding comprises:
 implanting the apparatus inside the patient's body. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 14  wherein the implanting comprises:
 delivering the apparatus into the patient's body in a substantially linear form; 
 wrapping the apparatus around the tissue structure; and 
 attaching ends of the apparatus to one another. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method of treating a patient's body tissue structure comprising:
 surrounding the tissue structure with apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a largest area that the apparatus encompasses, the apparatus including a plurality of bodies in an array that can annularly surround the tissue structure so that each of the bodies contacts the tissue structure, each body in the array having a structural link connecting it to a next adjacent body in the array, each of the links allowing the bodies it connects to move apart from one another in a direction that is annular of the array, and each of the links including a stop that is trapped but movable inside one of the bodies it connects for stopping such movement apart of the bodies it connects when spacing between those bodies reaches a maximum spacing, each link being unconnected to any annularly adjacent link except by the body between that link and the annularly adjacent link.   
     
     
         17 . A method of treating a patient's body tissue structure comprising:
 surrounding the tissue structure with annularly continuous apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a smallest area that the apparatus encompasses, the smallest area being a non-zero area, the apparatus including a plurality of bodies in an array that can annularly surround the tissue structure so that each of the bodies contacts the tissue structure, each body in the array having a structural link connecting it to a next adjacent body in the array, each of the links allowing the bodies it connects to move apart from one another in a direction that is annular of the array, and each of the links including a stop that is trapped but movable inside one of the bodies it connects for stopping such movement apart of the bodies it connects when spacing between those bodies reaches a maximum spacing, each link being unconnected to any annularly adjacent link except by the body between that link and the annularly adjacent link.   
     
     
         18 . A method of treating a patient's body tissue structure comprising:
 surrounding the tissue structure with apparatus for applying resilient pressure to the tissue structure while allowing the tissue structure to resiliently change its radius of curvature, the apparatus being self-limiting with respect to a smallest area that the apparatus encompasses, the smallest area being a non-zero area, the apparatus including a plurality of bodies in an array that can annularly surround the tissue structure so that each of the bodies contacts the tissue structure, each body in the array having a structural link connecting it to a next adjacent body in the array, each of the links allowing the bodies it connects to move apart from one another in a direction that is annular of the array, and each of the links including a stop that is trapped but movable inside one of the bodies it connects for stopping such movement apart of the bodies it connects when spacing between those bodies reaches a maximum spacing, each link being unconnected to any annularly adjacent link except by the body between that link and the annularly adjacent link.   
     
     
         19 . A method of treating a patient's body tissue structure comprising:
 delivering a prosthesis into the patient's body in a discontinuous form;   disposing the prosthesis around the tissue structure; and   converting the prosthesis to a continuous form around the tissue structure, wherein the prosthesis includes a plurality of bodies in an array that can annularly surround the tissue structure so that each of the bodies contacts the tissue structure, each body in the array having a structural link connecting it to a next adjacent body in the array, each of the links allowing the bodies it connects to move apart from one another in a direction that is annular of the array, and each of the links including a stop that is trapped but movable inside one of the bodies it connects for stopping such movement apart of the bodies it connects when spacing between those bodies reaches a maximum spacing, each link being unconnected to any annularly adjacent link except by the body between that link and the annularly adjacent link.   
     
     
         20 . A method of treating a body passage comprising:
 disposing a band around the outside of the body passage, the band being configured to provide radial support to the body passage; and   securing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage, wherein the band includes a plurality of bodies in an array that can be disposed annularly around the outside of the body passage so that each of the bodies contacts the tissue passage, each body in the array having a structural link connecting it to a next adjacent body in the array, each of the links allowing the bodies it connects to move apart from one another in a direction that is annular of the array, and each of the links including a stop that is trapped but movable inside one of the bodies it connects for stopping such movement apart of the bodies it connects when spacing between those bodies reaches a maximum spacing, each link being unconnected to any annularly adjacent link except by the body between that link and the annularly adjacent link.   
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 20  wherein the body passage is an esophagus. 
     
     
         22 . The method defined in  claim 20  further comprising:
 forming the band of an elastic material. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method defined in  claim 20  further comprising:
 forming the band of an elastic metal or polymer. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method defined in  claim 20  wherein the securing comprises:
 suturing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method defined in  claim 20  wherein the band is configured to allow expansion of the body passage. 
     
     
         26 . A method of treating a body passage comprising:
 disposing a band around the outside of the body passage, the band being configured to provide inwardly directed radial support to the body passage, wherein the band is configured to allow expansion of the body passage, and wherein the band includes a plurality of bodies in an array that can be disposed annularly around the outside of the body passage so that each of the bodies contacts the tissue passage, each body in the array having a structural link connecting it to a next adjacent body in the array, each of the links allowing the bodies it connects to move apart from one another in a direction that is annular of the array, and each of the links including a stop that is trapped but movable inside one of the bodies it connects for stopping such movement apart of the bodies it connects when spacing between those bodies reaches a maximum spacing, each link being unconnected to any annularly adjacent link except by the body between that link and the annularly adjacent link.   
     
     
         27 . The method defined in  claim 26  further comprising:
 securing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage. 
 
     
     
         28 . The method defined in  claim 26  wherein the body passage is an esophagus. 
     
     
         29 . The method defined in  claim 26  further comprising:
 forming the band of an elastic material. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method defined in  claim 26  further comprising:
 forming the band of an elastic metal or polymer. 
 
     
     
         31 . The method defined in  claim 27  wherein the securing comprises:
 suturing at least a portion of the band to the wall of the body passage.