Apparatus for controlling flow in a bodily organ
A flow control apparatus for controlling a flow of fluid and/or other matter in a lumen formed by a tissue wall of a patient's organ. The apparatus comprises a control device adapted to control contraction of the tissue wall to influence the flow in the lumen. The apparatus further comprises an implantable constriction device adapted to gently and simultaneously constrict a series of wall portions comprising three or more wall portions of the tissue wall to influence the flow in the lumen, wherein the constriction device gently constricts the series of wall portions by constricting the series of wall portions to a constricted state in which the blood circulation in the constricted series of wall portions is substantially unrestricted and the flow in the lumen is at least restricted, and an implantable energized stimulation device adapted to individually and independently stimulate a selected wall portion of the series of wall portions, comprising three or more wall portions.
1. A laparoscopic method for implanting a flow control apparatus for controlling a flow of fluid and/or other matter in a lumen formed by a tissue wall of a patient's organ, comprising:
inserting a tube into the patient's body,
filling, through said tube, gas into a location within the patient's body,
cutting a hole in the skin of the body,
inserting, through said hole, at least one laparoscopic trocar towards the location,
advancing a dissecting tool and a camera through the at least one trocar towards said location,
dissecting, by means of the dissecting tool, an area of a tubular part of said lumen,
placing an implantable constriction device at the tubular part of the lumen, wherein the constriction device is adapted to simultaneously constrict three or more wall portions of the lumen so as to influence the flow in the lumen, wherein the constriction device is adapted to constrict said wall portions to a constricted state in which a blood circulation in the constricted wall portions is substantially unrestricted and the flow in the lumen is at least restricted,
placing an implantable stimulation device at the tubular part of the lumen, wherein the stimulation device is adapted to independently and individually stimulate a selected wall portion of the at least three wall portions,
wherein the constriction device and the stimulation device are configured to be controlled by a control device, such that:
the stimulation device, when the constriction device constricts the at least three wall portions, stimulates the selected wall portion to cause contraction of the selected wall portion to further influence the flow in the lumen,
the stimulation device, when the constriction device is holding the at least three wall portions in a constricted state, intermittently and individually stimulates different wall portions of the at least three wall portions such that at least two of the at least three wall portions are stimulated at different points of time,
the stimulation device intermittently stimulates the different wall portions during successive time periods,
the constriction device adjusts the constriction of the at least three wall portions, such that the flow in the lumen is restricted but not stopped,
the stimulation device stimulates the constricted wall portions individually to cause contraction thereof, such that the flow in the lumen is further restricted but not stopped, or
the stimulation device is operated in a first mode to stimulate the constricted wall portions individually to stop the flow in the lumen and in a second mode to cease the stimulation of the wall portion to allow flow in the lumen.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
implanting the control device in the patient's body.
3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
subcutaneously implanting a manually operable switch for operating the control device to switch on and off the constriction device and/or stimulation device.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the switch is adapted to be manually operated from outside the patient's body.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
implanting a sensor configured to sense a physical parameter of the patient, the parameter relating to a pressure in the lumen.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stimulation device is placed to stimulate muscle fibers of the lumen so as to contract said muscle fibers.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stimulation device comprises a plurality of electrical elements forming an elongate pattern, and wherein the stimulation device is placed on the lumen such that the elongate pattern extends along the direction of the flow in the lumen.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the stimulation device is placed such that the electrical elements abut the respective wall portions of the lumen.
9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising implanting an internal signal receiver and/or transmitter for receiving signals transmitted from an external signal transmitter or transmitting signals to an external signal receiver.
10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising implanting an internal energy source for powering energy consuming components of the constriction device and/or stimulation device.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising implanting a feedback device for sending feedback information from inside the patient's body to the outside thereof.
12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising implanting an operation device for operating the constriction device.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the operation device is a hydraulic operation device.
14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising implanting an energy-transforming device for transforming wireless energy, transmitted by an energy-transmission device, from a first form into a second form of energy.