Method for controlling flow of sperms in a uterine tube

1. Electrically stimulating a uterine tube wall portion by controlling an implanted stimulation device from at least one of:

an external control unit from outside the patient's body; and

an internal control unit from inside the patient's body;

wherein the electrically stimulating causes progressive contraction of the uterine tube wall portion along a length of the uterine tube wall portion to restrict the flow of sperms in the uterine tube; and

ceasing electrically stimulating the uterine tube wall portion to restore the flow of sperms in the uterine tube.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stimulating step is performed by stimulating the uterine tube wall portion with cyclically varying stimulation intensity.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stimulating step is performed by intermittently and individually stimulating different areas of the uterine tube wall portion with pulses.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the pulses form pulse trains and at least one of the following steps is performed:

varying the pulse amplitudes of the pulses of the pulse trains;

varying the frequency of the pulses of the pulse trains;

varying the frequency of the pulse trains; and

varying the number of: pulses of each pulse train.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the pulses form pulse trains and each off time period between the pulse trains is kept long enough to restore substantially normal blood circulation in each area when the area is not stimulated during the off time periods.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stimulating step is performed by electrically stimulating different areas of the uterine tube wall portion with electric pulses.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the uterine tube wall portion it muscle fibers, and the stimulating step is performed by stimulating the uterine tube wall portion including the muscle fibers with the electric pulses.

8. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising providing at least one electrical element engaging the uterine tube wall portion.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising providing a plurality of electrical elements engaging the uterine tube wall portion.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising placing the electrical elements in a fixed orientation relative to one another and providing a structure holding the electrical elements in the fixed orientation, wherein the electrical elements form an elongate pattern of electrical elements with two opposite short ends, further comprising applying the structure on the patients uterine tube so that the elongate pattern of electrical elements extends along the uterine tube wall portion of the uterine tube in the direction of the flow of sperms in the patients uterine tube and the elements abut the respective areas of the uterine tube wall portion.

11. The method according to claim 9 , thither comprising electrically energizing the electrical elements, wherein each electrical element is cyclically energized with electric pulses.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the electrical elements are energized so that a number or groups of the electrical elements are energized at the same time.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the electrical elements are energized one at a time in sequence or groups of the electrical elements are sequentially energized, either randomly or in accordance with a predetermined pattern.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising applying the electrical elements on the patient's uterine tube so that the electrical elements form an elongate pattern of electrical elements extending along the uterine tube wall portion of the uterine tube in the direction of the flow of sperms in the patient's uterine tube and the elements abut the respective areas of the uterine tube wall portion.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the electrical elements are successively energized along the elongate pattern of electrical elements.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the electrical elements are applied on the patient's uterine tube in a series of groups of elements extending along the patient's uterine tube in the direction of flow in the patient's uterine tube.

17. The method according tip claim 15 , wherein the electrical elements are successively energized along the elongate pattern of electrical elements in the same or opposite direction of the flow of sperms in the patient's uterine tube.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the electrical elements are successively energized along a elongate pattern of electrical elements from a position substantially at a center of the constricted wall portion towards both ends of the elongate pattern of electrical elements.

19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the electrical elements are energized so that the energized electrical elements form at least, one group of adjacent energized electrical elements.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the elements in the at least one group of energized electrical elements form a path of energized electrical elements, and wherein the path of energized electrical elements extends at least in part or completely around the patient's uterine tube.

21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the electrical elements are applied on the patient's uterine tube in a series of groups of elements extending along the patient's uterine tube in the direction of flow in the patient's uterine tube, and wherein the groups of electrical elements in the series of groups are successively energized in the same or opposite direction of the flow in the patient's uterine tube.

22. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one group of adjacent energized electrical elements comprises two electrical elements provided mutually on opposite sides of the patient's uterine tube.

23. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one group of adjacent energized electrical elements comprises three electrical elements extending around the patient's uterine tube.

24. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the groups of electrical elements in the series of groups are successively energized in the same or opposite direction of the flow of sperms in the patient's uterine tube.

25. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the electrical elements of each group of electrical elements form a path of elements extending at least in part or completely around the patient's uterine tube.

26. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the electrical elements of each group of electrical elements form two paths of elements extending on mutual sides of the patient's uterine tube, and wherein the two paths of electrical elements of each group of elements extend at least substantially transverse to the direction of flow in the patient's uterine tube.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of electrically stimulating includes stopping the flow of sperms in the uterine tube.

28. A method for reversibly controlling a flow of sperm in a uterine tube of a female patient, the method comprising the steps of:

stimulating electrically and noninvasively at least a portion of the uterine tube's wall to cause contraction of a portion of the uterine tube wall, to affect the flow of sperm in the uterine tube, the stimulating step being performed by stimulating one or more of different areas of the uterine tube wall portion at a time using an already implanted electrical stimulation device controlled from outside the patient's body;

stimulating the different areas to cause progressive contraction of the uterine tube wall portion to move the sperms in the uterine tube, and,

stimulating progressively a constricted wall portion in the downstream or upstream direction of the uterine tube to move sperms in the uterine tube, thus allowing sperms to move upstream through the uterine wall portion when progressively stimulating in the upstream direction, and preventing passage of sperms in the upstream direction through the uterine tube wall portion when stimulating progressively in the downstream direction,

wherein the method further comprising ceasing stimulating the uterine tube wall portion to allow free flow of sperms in the uterine tube.

29. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the stimulating step is performed by sequentially stimulating the different areas of the uterine tube wall portion, or by shifting the stimulation from one area to another over time, or by cyclically propagating the stimulation of the areas along the wall portion in the same or opposite direction of the flow in the patient's uterine tube passageway in accordance with a determined stimulation pattern.

30. A method for reversibly controlling a flow of sperms in a uterine tube of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting a needle like tube into a cavity of the patient's body,

using the needle like tube to till the cavity with gas thereby expanding the cavity, placing at least two laparoscopic trocars in the patient's body,

inserting a camera through one of the trocars into the cavity,

inserting a dissecting tool through any of the trocars and dissecting an area of at least one portion of the uterine tube wall of the uterine tube to allow placement of a stimulation device onto the uterine tube,

fully implanting a stimulation device in the dissected area in operative engagement with the uterine tube, and

wherein the method postoperatively further comprises the ability to:

stimulate, using the stimulation device, the uterine tube wall portion to cause progressive contractions of the uterine tube wall portion,

noninvasively stimulate, using the already implanted stimulation device, one or more of different areas of the uterine tube wall portion at a time,

stimulate the different areas to cause progressive contraction of the uterine tube wall portion to move the sperms in the uterine tube, and

stimulate progressively the wall portion in the downstream or upstream direction of the uterine tube to move sperms in the uterine wall portion, thus allowing sperms to move upstream through the uterine wall portion when progressively stimulating in the upstream direction, and preventing passage of sperms in the upstream direction through the uterine tube wall portion when stimulating progressively in the downstream direction,

and wherein the method further comprises the ability to: cease stimulating the uterine tube wall portion to allow free flow of sperms in the uterine tube.

31. The method according to claim 30 , wherein the cavity constitutes at least of an abdominal cavity, a cavity in the pelvic region, a cavity in human soft tissue, muscle, tat or fibrotic tissue.

32. A method for reversibly controlling a flow of sperms in a uterine tube of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

cutting the skin of the patient,

inserting a dissecting tool and dissecting an area of at least one portion of the uterine tube wall of the uterine tube,

fully implanting a stimulation device in the dissected area in operative engagement with the uterine tube, and

using the stimulation device to stimulate the uterine tube wall portion to cause progressive contractions of the uterine tube wall portion,

wherein the method postoperatively further comprising the ability to:

stimulate one or more of different areas of the uterine tube wall portion at a time by controlling the already implanted stimulation device from outside of the patient's body;

stimulate the different areas to cause progressive contraction of the uterine tube wall portion to move the sperms in the uterine tube, and,

stimulate progressively the wall portion in the downstream or upstream direction of the uterine tube to move sperms in the uterine wall portion, thus allowing sperms to move upstream through the uterine wall portion when progressively stimulating in the upstream direction, and preventing passage of sperms in the upstream direction through the uterine tube wall portion when stimulating progressively in the downstream direction,

and wherein the method further comprising the ability to: cease stimulating the uterine tube wall portion to allow free flow of sperms in the uterine tube.