Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080281152 | HEART FAILURE TREATMENT DEVICE AND METHOD - A method and apparatus for treating heart failure is configured to be placed about at least a portion of a patient's heart to apply a mild compressive force on the heart over a range of elastic deformation of the apparatus. The apparatus can be shifted to second range of deformation. In some embodiments, the apparatus is shifted to the second range of deformation by application of a stimulus or alteration of environmental conditions beyond a threshold level. | 11-13-2008 |
20090043152 | DELIVERY DEVICE FOR CARDIAC HARNESS - A delivery system for providing and deploying a cardiac harness over a heart. The delivery system includes an introducer tube having a plurality of distal fingers biased into a compressed delivery diameter. A dilator tube is slidably mounted within the introducer tube for dilating the fingers into an expanded diameter for deploying a suction cup into secure attachment with the heart. The suction cup is used to manipulate the heart as the cardiac harness is also deployed from the dilator tube over the suction cup, and over the heart. The suction cup is shaped to securely attach to the apex of the heart in one embodiment. | 02-12-2009 |
20090156892 | CARDIAC HARNESS - A cardiac harness for treating or preventing congestive heart failure is configured to be placed about at least a portion of a patient's heart so as to apply a mild compressive force on the heart. In one embodiment, the cardiac harness comprises a plurality of spaced apart conductive panels arranged so that there is no electrical continuity circumferentially around the harness. In an additional embodiment, a cardiac harness is provided that is insulated so as not to conduct electricity circumferentially about the harness. | 06-18-2009 |
20100191265 | ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING PRESSURE FOR A GASTRIC BAND - A bladder assembly is provided in order to maintain the pressure in the balloon portion of a gastric band in a range corresponding to a so-called Green Zone. Multiple bladders are connected by flexible tubing which is connected at a distal end to the balloon portion of a gastric band. The elastically expandable bladders provide fluid pressure on the balloon portion of the gastric band in order to maintain the intra-luminal pressure within a desired range over a prescribed fill volume. | 07-29-2010 |
20100191271 | Assembly and method for automatically controlling pressure for a gastric band - An elastic bladder is provided that is in constant fluid communication with the expandable balloon portion of a gastric band in order to automatically and continuously adjust the gastric band. The fluid pressure between the bladder and the balloon portion of the gastric band automatically and continuously adjusts so that there is no lasting pressure differential between the bladder and the expandable balloon. As the level of restriction imparted by the gastric band on the stomach of the patient changes, fluid from the bladder automatically and substantially instantaneously flows to or from the expandable balloon portion of the gastric band thereby maintaining neutral fluid pressure equilibrium between the bladder and the balloon and automatically adjusting the band to the correct level of restriction to keep the patient in the optimum zone for weight loss. | 07-29-2010 |
20100312046 | ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING PRESSURE FOR A GASTRIC BAND - An elastic bladder is provided that is in constant fluid communication with the expandable balloon portion of a gastric band in order to automatically and continuously adjust the gastric band. The fluid pressure between the bladder and the balloon portion of the gastric band automatically and continuously adjusts so that there is no lasting pressure differential between the bladder and the expandable balloon. As the level of restriction imparted by the gastric band on the stomach of the patient changes, fluid from the bladder automatically and substantially instantaneously flows to or from the expandable balloon portion of the gastric band thereby maintaining neutral fluid pressure equilibrium between the bladder and the balloon and automatically adjusting the band to the correct level of restriction to keep the patient in the optimum zone for weight loss. | 12-09-2010 |
20110313240 | FLOW RESTRICTOR AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING PRESSURE FOR A GASTRIC BAND - A bladder assembly is provided in order to maintain the pressure in the balloon portion of a gastric band in a range corresponding to a so-called Green Zone. Multiple bladders are connected by flexible tubing which is connected at a distal end to the balloon portion of a gastric band. The elastically expandable bladders provide fluid pressure on the balloon portion of the gastric band in order to maintain the intra-luminal pressure within a desired range over a prescribed fill volume. A flow restrictor is positioned between the balloon portion and the bladders to restrict fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders during patient swallowing. | 12-22-2011 |
20120010459 | ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING PRESSURE FOR A GASTRIC BAND - An elastic bladder is provided that is in constant fluid communication with the expandable balloon portion of a gastric band in order to automatically and continuously adjust the gastric band. The fluid pressure between the bladder and the balloon portion of the gastric band automatically and continuously adjusts so that there is no lasting pressure differential between the bladder and the expandable balloon. As the level of restriction imparted by the gastric band on the stomach of the patient changes, fluid from the bladder automatically and substantially instantaneously flows to or from the expandable balloon portion of the gastric band thereby maintaining neutral fluid pressure equilibrium between the bladder and the balloon and automatically adjusting the band to the correct level of restriction to keep the patient in the optimum zone for weight loss. | 01-12-2012 |
20120190919 | ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING PRESSURE FOR A GASTRIC BAND - A bladder assembly is provided in order to maintain the pressure in the balloon portion of a gastric band in a range corresponding to a so-called Green Zone. Multiple bladders are connected by flexible tubing which is connected at a distal end to the balloon portion of a gastric band. The elastically expandable bladders provide fluid pressure on the balloon portion of the gastric band in order to maintain the intra-luminal pressure within a desired range over a prescribed fill volume. A flow restrictor is positioned between the balloon portion and the bladders to restrict fluid flow from the balloon to the bladders during patient swallowing. | 07-26-2012 |
20120197069 | ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING PRESSURE FOR A GASTRIC BAND - A bladder assembly is provided in order to maintain the pressure in the balloon portion of a gastric band in a range corresponding to a so-called Green Zone. Multiple bladders are connected by flexible tubing which is connected at a distal end to the balloon portion of a gastric band. The elastically expandable bladders provide fluid pressure on the balloon portion of the gastric band in order to maintain the intra-luminal pressure within a desired range over a prescribed fill volume. | 08-02-2012 |
20120245412 | METHOD FOR MODULATING CHANGES IN INTRA-BAND PRESSURE IN A GASTRIC BAND - A gastric band assembly has one or more bladders incorporated therein to minimize or modulate changes in intra-band pressure in response to changes in stoma area and band stoma area. The balloon portion of the gastric band encircles stomach tissue thereby forming a band stoma area. With the bladders incorporated in the gastric band assembly, the affect that changes in band stoma area have on intra-band pressure are minimized so that the patient stays at or near the physician set intra-band pressure longer than with a gastric band alone. | 09-27-2012 |
20130211188 | METHOD FOR INCREASING DISTENSIBILITY IN A GASTRIC BAND - A gastric band assembly has one or more bladders incorporated therein so that the distensibility of the gastric band assembly is increased. The distensibility relates to the relative strength with which the gastric band assembly with a bladder resists the application of additional band contact pressure. Distensibility is quantified by measuring the change in band contact dimension (e.g., diameter or area) versus the change in band contact pressure. | 08-15-2013 |
20130211189 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING HIGH BASAL INTRA-LUMINAL PRESSURE USING A GASTRIC BAND - A gastric band assembly has one or more bladders incorporated therein so that basal intra-band pressure in the band can be set higher than typical Green Zone basal intra-band pressures. The higher basal intra-band pressures equate to higher basal intra-luminal or contact pressures from 35 mmHg and above. | 08-15-2013 |
20130211190 | METHOD FOR INCREASING DISTENSIBILITY IN A GASTRIC BAND - A gastric band assembly has one or more bladders incorporated therein so that the distensibility of the gastric band assembly is increased. The distensibility relates to the relative strength with which the gastric band assembly with a bladder resists the application of additional band contact pressure. Distensibility is quantified by measuring the change in band contact dimension (e.g., diameter or area) versus the change in band contact pressure. | 08-15-2013 |