Intragastric device for treating obesity

Abstract

A gastrointestinal device for treating obesity includes a three-dimensional porous structure configurable between a compressed pre-deployment configuration to facilitate delivery and an expanded post-deployment configuration. The porous structure includes a first opening at its proximal end and a larger second opening at its distal end. The porous structure also includes a sleeve coupled to its distal end. Optionally, the device further includes a suture at the proximal end of the wire mesh structure to facilitate retrieval and an anti-migration component positioned at the junction of the porous structure with the sleeve. The porous structure is deployed in a patient’s stomach such that the anti-migration component sits proximal to the patient’s pylorus and prevents migration of the entirety of the device into and through the pylorus. The sleeve extends through the pylorus, into the duodenum and ends in the duodenum or jejunum. Food enters the device from the first opening at the proximal end of the porous structure, passes through the porous structure and sleeve, and exits at the distal end of the sleeve. The device treats obesity by providing a relatively immovable volume occupying structure in the stomach and a bypass for food past the pylorus and proximal portion of the small intestine. Optionally, the device further acts to slow the passage of food through the digestive tract. Patients with the device experience satiety more quickly and have a prolonged sensation of satiety.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A medical device comprising:
 a three dimensional structure defining an internal volume and having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end having at least one first opening and the distal end having at least one second opening, the three dimensional structure being a wire mesh structure with different wire mesh weave patterns; and   an anti-migration component positioned at the distal end of the three dimensional structure.   
     
     
         2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional structure is more easily compressible along a vertical axis than along a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional structure has an upper portion with a first wire mesh weave pattern and a lower portion with a second wire mesh weave pattern different from the first wire mesh weave pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 3 , wherein the first wire mesh weave pattern provides the upper portion with a radial strength greater than a radial strength provided to the lower portion by the second wire mesh weave pattern of the lower portion. 
     
     
         5 . The medical device of  claim 3 , wherein the lower portion comprises a flexible, compressible membrane. 
     
     
         6 . The medical device of  claim 1 , further comprising an elongate sleeve coupled to the anti-migration component and extending distally therefrom. 
     
     
         7 . The medical device of  claim 6 , wherein upon deployment inside a patient, the sleeve has a length sufficient to extend from the distal end of the three dimensional structure, through a pylorus and duodenum of the patient, and into a jejunum of the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The medical device of  claim 6 , wherein the sleeve comprises at least one of: silicone, latex, parylene, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), fluorinated ethylene-propylene, Dacron, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     
     
         9 . The medical device of  claim 6 , wherein the sleeve comprises a mesh with a mesh weave pattern that is different from the wire mesh weave patterns of the three dimensional structure. 
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the mesh weave pattern of the sleeve causes the sleeve to have a lower radial strength than the three dimensional structure. 
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 6 , wherein the sleeve comprises a flexible coil. 
     
     
         12 . The medical device of  claim 6 , wherein the sleeve comprises a membrane having a plurality of horizontal and vertical support elements which provide the sleeve with structural support such that the sleeve remains in an elongate shape. 
     
     
         13 . A medical device comprising:
 a three dimensional structure defining an internal volume and having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end having at least one first opening and the distal end having at least one second opening, the three dimensional structure including an upper portion comprising a wire mesh structure with a wire mesh weave pattern and a lower portion comprising a flexible membrane; and   an anti-migration component positioned at the distal end of the three dimensional structure.   
     
     
         14 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the flexible membrane is configured to impede the passage of food out of the three dimensional structure and direct the food through the at least one second opening at the distal end of the three dimensional structure. 
     
     
         15 . The medical device of  claim 13 , further comprising a first valve at the proximal end and a second valve at the distal end configured to control a flow of chyme or partially digested food from the internal volume of the three dimensional structure to an outside of the three dimensional structure.