For desorptive technique, inhibiting hunger and reducing the amount of food ingested, besides avoiding the contact of the food with part of the intestine, working for the weight reduction of the patient and associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes. For this, a gastrointestinal device (10) formed from an intragastric ring (1) made of malleable and expandable material, extends a tubular sleeve (3) with or without a stent. The gastrointestinal device (10) has its inlet valve (4) attached to a catheter (CA) for gastrointestinal implant, and is directed into the stomach (L) of the patient, where an endoscopic forceps (EP) or the stent directs the tubular sleeve (3) through the pyloric canal (P), into the duodenum (D), and unfolding until it occupies part of the intestine. Therefore, the intragastric ring (1) is positioned near the Pyloric canal (P), inside the stomach (E), and is then inflated and expanded by fluid—liquid, gas or air, assuming the shape of a balloon.

A device for occluding flow of materials is formed as a simple structure permitting a compact delivery configuration which may shift to an expanded deployment configuration. The device has at least one expandable portion formed of a plurality of elongated longitudinally extending frame elements. The frame elements may be spaced apart to define spaces therebetween, and a flexible occlusive material may be provided to block flow of material through such spaces. A flexible occlusive material may form one of two expandable portions of the device without the need for frame elements.

Devices, systems, and methods described herein relate to affecting an internal diameter of a body lumen, and, in many examples, of a pylorus. A silk-based bulking agent may be injected in a pyloric tissue so as to reduce an effective inner diameter of the pylorus. A multi-part occluding agent may be injected into a pylorus on the surface of the pyloric tissue to occlude the pylorus alone or in combination with the silk-based bulking agent.

A method of preventing contraction and peristaltic wave action of an esophagus in which a GARD is placed, preventing displacement of the GARD towards or into a stomach, the method comprising injecting botulinum toxin very precisely in the muscular layer of the esophageal wall at the level where the GARD is or will be placed. A system comprising a catheter having one or two expandable balloon(s) which carries guide needle catheters that can pierce the esophageal wall and reach precisely the muscular layer of the wall of the esophagus, the needles used to inject the toxin at precisely the exact location in the esophageal wall in relationship with the GARD device to block esophageal peristalsis locally.

The invention relates surgical abdominal methods of treating obesity in a patient by implanting a volume filling device that, when implanted in a patient, reduces the food cavity in size by a volume substantially exceeding the volume of the volume filling device. Also disclosed is a laparoscopic instrument for providing a volume filling device to be invaginated in the stomach wall of a human patient to treat obesity.

An apparatus for treating obesity comprises a volume filling device formed by at least two segments and is provided and following implantation, the device is placed resting against the stomach wall of the patient to reduce the inner volume of the stomach, thereby affecting the patients appetite.

An implantable flow-restricting device, extending along a longitudinal extent which need not be linear, and having a first portion and a second portion with a saddle region therebetween. At least one of the first or second portions may be angled with respect to the saddle region to resist migration of the device. At least one of the first or second portions may be configured to maintain a distance from a region of the anatomical structure in which such portion is positioned. An occluder, such as an expandable occluder, may be associated with the flow-restricting device, such as with one of the first or second portions thereof. The occluder may serve to block passage of material through the anatomical passage in which the saddle region is positioned, prevent migration of the device (e.g., through such passage), and/or increase volume occupied by the device.

An implantable device capable of regulating flow of material through a body passage. The implantable device may include at least one retention member having a surface curved to resist migration of the implantable device with respect to the body passage. The implantable device may be provided with features providing a cushioning effect with respect to tissue at which the implantable device is implanted. The length of the implantable device and/or the configuration of at least one retention member on the implantable device may be adjustable. A removal element may be provided to facilitate removal of the implantable device.

A mesh element having a mesh gauge selected to control flow of materials therethrough. The mesh element is implantable into an anatomical structure upstream of a body passage or within a body passage to control flow of materials through the body passage. The mesh element may be coupled to a support structure to facilitate anchoring of the mesh element in place relative to the body passage. The support structure may have a lumen defined therethrough to allow flow of materials through the body passage, with the mesh element regulating the flow of materials into the lumen. The mesh element alternatively may be directly coupled to an anatomical structure upstream of a body passage to regulate or determine flow of materials through the body passage.

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.