Motorized gastric band device or "gastric ring" having at least one misaligned receiving antenna for power supply, remote control and data transmission by means of induction

CA 02564036 2006-10-20 WO 2005/105001 PCT / FR2005 / 000995 Gastric banding device or motorized "gastric ring" comprising at least one disoriented receiving antenna for power supply, remote control and sending of data, by induction.

The present invention relates to the technical sector of AGMs or motorized gastric rings, that is to say the diameter of the ring can be adjusted by an on-board micro-motor.

Gastric ring systems are known of the type comprising an outer chamber and an inner balloon disposed in a physiological liquid contained in the space between the chamber and the balloon.

A greater or lesser swelling of the balloon increases or decreases the diameter of the gastric band. The swelling adaptation is carried out using a syringe through which the practitioner sends a physiological liquid via a reception chamber arranged under an incision in the patient's skin, and a tube leading to the ring.

The drawbacks of such solutions can be seen: pain in the room which is permanently disposed, risks of leaks, abuse of manipulations requested on certain occasions by patients, etc., risks of infection.

Motorized gastric band devices have been developed, the control of which is carried out by remote control without having to resort to incisions, flow of physiological liquid, reception chamber, tubes, etc.

In particular, patents FR 2 816 828, EP 0015140 and FR 2 797 181 are known, which can be described as basic patents.

CA 02564036 2006-10-20 WO 2005/105001 PCT / FR2005 / 000995 2 These systems essentially comprise a not entirely closed ring, which is intended to be placed around the esophagus, said ring comprising an internal band which is fixed to a from the ends of the ring and leaves the ring at its other end, said band being able to slide in the ring under the effect of a micro motorization (traction system) arranged in a separate element comprising said motorization, the means for attaching said strip to said motor, and on-board electronics (electronics for energy recession, for processing control signals, for supplying the micro motorisation, for sending control signals to said motorisation , memory management and memory data, updating these data, and other functions of this type).

Those skilled in the art will have understood that, by exerting traction on the band, the ring is tightened around the esophagus, and vice versa if the traction is released.

These various devices are of great interest.

However, a significant problem arises in that the gastric band can move after it has been placed, eventually resting on certain organs such as the liver or the stomach.

To specify the movement undergone by the AGM, it is necessary to specify the following elements:

The AGM consists (figure 4) of a cylinder 2 containing engine, electronics and receiving antenna, and in front of this cylinder is the ring 1 which comes CA 02564036 2006-10-20 WO 2005/105001 PCT / FR2005 / 000995 3 place around the esophagus.

This ring, the diameter of which can be increased or decreased, defines a plane whose orientation with respect to the transmitting antenna is essential (FIG. 1).

Indeed, this orientation determines the amount of energy received by the ring.

Too small a quantity of energy received results in first stopping of operation of the motor, then in stopping the communication with the AGM. The antenna of the versions of AGM of the prior art is placed in such a way. standard at 90 of the plane formed by the ring.

The Applicant continued his studies on the subject and discovered that AGM moves in the patient's body after implantation, which was not predictable and is moreover random, which confirms its unpredictability and the merits of the Applicant, for having oriented his research in this direction.

Displacement of the AGM after implantation results in a rotation which, when it occurs, can be very noticeable of the AGM ring relative to the plane of the outer antenna.

This rotation is in fact between 0 and 90 with respect to the ideal orientation of the ring (plane of the ring perpendicular to the plane of the transmitting antenna) (FIG. 2).

Given these possible rotations, the antenna may therefore be at an angle which does not allow sufficient energy to be received to supply the motor, and, in certain cases, communication is no longer even possible.

CA 02564036 2006-10-20 WO 2005/105001 PCT / FR2005 / 000995 4 This may possibly lead to the obligation to reposition the ring, in extreme cases.

Technical problem The "technical problem" referred to by this patent is to eliminate this danger.

The objective technical problem posed is therefore to imagine a system which ensures, whatever the final positioning of the motorized gastric band (AGM), a reception which allows the operation of the AGM motor at a distance greater than 5 cm. .

Naturally, it is impossible to sufficiently increase the dimensions of the external transmitting antenna, which must be placed on the patient's abdomen, nor its power or its transmission time (risk, among other things, of burns by the (antenna on contact and risk of internal heating of the body area where the device is implanted); likewise, the choice of the emission frequency is not free: the frequency must obviously be very far from microwave frequencies and must on the contrary correspond to magnetic radiation (without noticeable effect on the patient) and not electromagnetic.

One solution is to orient the single antenna according to an "average" angle, that is to say intermediate between the position adopted initially (antenna at 901 from the ring) and an antenna in the same plane as the ring.

The antenna is thus placed at an average angle of the order of 45 with respect to the ring.

CA 02564036 2006-10-20 WO 2005/105001 PCT / FR2005 / 000995 Taking into account the possible movements of the motorized ring after its installation, the risk of zero reception is thus avoided.

5 According to a particular embodiment, the invention consists in adding at least one second antenna to the first, whether the latter is disoriented as indicated above or whether it is oriented in a standard manner as in the prior art, or any intermediate solution.

This second antenna (or these additional antennas) will be substantially at right angles (or at regularly spaced angles in the case of several antennas) with respect to the first antenna.

This solution makes it possible to ensure that whatever the angle of rotation of the AGM, at least one of the antennas allows a minimum reception of energy making it possible to supply the motor of the AGM.

This technology is the subject of a separate patent application filed on the same day as the present application.

Summary of the invention The invention is based on a motorized gastric band or "AGM" of the type comprising a motor acting on the diameter of the ring, activated by induction towards at least one on-board receiving antenna, from a transmitting antenna. external, characterized in that said ring comprises at least one receiving antenna, at least one of the antennas being disoriented with respect to the plane of said gastric ring, that is to say that the antenna is no longer located at a right angle to the plane containing the gastric ring CA 02564036 2006-10-20 WO 2005/105001 PCT / FR2005 / 000995 6 and an on-board electronics adapted to ensure a optimal use of the energy received.

The angle that the antenna should have relative to the plane of the ring should be at least 20 and preferably of the order of 25 to 65 relative to the plane of the ring.

This angle will be trigonometrically positive when looking at the AGM through the end opposite the ring (Figure 3).

However, for a disorientation of 45, the power received by the receiving antenna is 70% of the power received with an angle of 0 between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna.

Such a loss of reception corresponds to a reduction in the maximum operating distance of the AGM by 65%.

An advantageous improvement of the solution of a disoriented antenna is to have two antennas and adapted electronics allowing the best use of the energy received by the antenna which is best oriented to supply the motor.

In this configuration, the disorientation between the transmitting antenna and the best placed receiving antenna corresponds to 22.5.

The invention therefore also relates to a motorized gastric ring characterized in that there are two antennas angularly offset with respect to each other and of which at least one is disoriented and suitable electronics allowing the best use of CA 02564036 2010-12-15 7 the energy received by the antenna best oriented to power the motor.

In this configuration, the disorientation between the transmitting antenna and the best placed receiving antenna corresponds to 22.5, assuming the transmitting antenna placed substantially parallel to the abdomen of the wearer of the AGM.

For this difference in orientation, the energy received by the best oriented antenna is 92.4%, which corresponds to a decrease in the maximum operating distance of the AGM of 21.1%.

It should be noted that this type of solution encountered two major obstacles: on the one hand, more than one antenna means a larger footprint and greater complexity, while the available volume and the authorized weight cannot be extended at will. ; on the other hand, two antennas, or more than two antennas, risk seeing their signals interfere, fighting each other until eventually annihilating themselves completely.

The invention has solved these two problems.

Brief description of the drawings:

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, and with reference to the appended drawing in which:

- Figure 1 shows a motorized gastric ring (1) in place around the esophagus (8) with an antenna (3) at 90 to the plane of the ring (B), and a transmitting antenna (7);

CA 02564036 2010-12-15 8 - figure 2 represents an AGM (l) having undergone a change in position in the abdomen, generally between 0 and 90, which causes the antenna (3) to rotate accordingly relative to the transmitting antenna (7);

- Figure 3 shows a non-limiting solution according to the invention comprising a receiving antenna disoriented 45 relative to the plane of the ring, in the configuration of Figure 2 - Figure 4 shows an AGM of the type considered, in schematic perspective , with its part "actual ring 1 and its part or body with on-board electronic motorization" 2 (including the antennas 3 and 4 angularly offset with respect to one another corresponding to a version of the invention, non-limiting) - Figure 5 represents an electrical diagram of the coupling of two antennas, extrapolable to more than two antennas:

ANT x or respectively y: antenna along 19 x or y axis respectively;

C capacitor D diode DZ Sener diode L Inductor ZC integrated circuit (used to convert the voltage to an appropriate voltage, in particular SV for the AGM application, to supply the motor and its control circuit) Detailed description of the invention:

The invention therefore relates to a motorized gastric ring, (1) characterized in that it comprises at least one antenna (3) with angular orientation offset by at least 20 with respect to the plane of the ring (1), preferably at least two angular shifting antennas (3, 4) for receiving the energy intended for the motorization and the corresponding on-board electronics (2), energy supplied by induction by at least CA 02564036 2010-12-15 9 an antenna exterior (7), said at least two receiving antennas (3, 4) being angularly offset with respect to one another, and in that it comprises complementary on-board electronics (2) capable of using the energies received individually by each antenna.

According to a particular embodiment, the invention relates to a motorized gastric ring (1) characterized in that it comprises at least two angularly offset antennas (3,4) for receiving energy intended for motorization and 'corresponding on-board electronics (2), energy supplied by induction by at least one external antenna, said at least two receiving antennas (3,4) being angularly offset with respect to one another, 16 and in that it comprises complementary on-board electronics (2) capable of using the energies received individually by each antenna.

According to yet another particular embodiment, said ring comprising at least two antennas (3, 4), and in particular two antennas, is characterized in that it comprises at least one antenna with angular orientation offset by at least 200 with respect to the plan of the ring.

According to a particular embodiment, the AGM comprises two antennas (3, 4).

According to yet another particular embodiment, said two antennas (3, 4) are angularly offset by 900 with respect to one another.

According to yet another particular embodiment, said two antennas (3, 4) are in planes of which CA 02564036 2010-12-15 the intersection forms the longitudinal axis of the motorization and electronic part (2) of the AGM ( 1).

Advantageously, said gastric ring (1) comprises a plurality of antennas (3, 4) angularly offset with respect to one another from 450 to 1350.

According to one option, said AGM (1) comprises three or four antennas angularly offset in a regular manner.

According to a particular embodiment, the antennas are formed by coils surrounding at least a part of the body of “on-board motorization-electronics” (2), preferably in peripheral channels or notches (5,6) provided on the surface. of said body.

The invention also relates to AGMs of the type described above comprising an electrical antenna coupling diagram as described in the “method” section above.

The invention also relates to all the applications of the antenna coupling method as described above to AGIs! of all types, including CA 02564036 2010-12-15 WO 2005/105001 PCT / FR2005 / 000995 11 the motorization system would be different (pinching / rotation of two branches of the ring instead of pulling on a strip, etc. .) EXAMPLES A prototype according to the invention was constructed, the characteristics of which are as follows:

Antenna 3 disoriented by 450 relative to the plane of the PA ring, consisting of 100 turns wound on a frame length by width comprising a U-shaped groove of section 1.7 x 2 mm.

Antenna 4 to 90 of antenna 3, consisting of 120 turns wound on a frame 75 mm long by 11 mm wide comprising a U-shaped groove of section 1.7 x 2 mm.

By using a transmitting antenna (7) with a diameter of 300mm, supplied at 1000V and 0.3A, this type of device makes it possible to obtain the operation of a motor at 40 mA and 5V from a voltage of 12V at the output of voltage limiter, this at a distance of 15cm.

The invention also covers all the embodiments and all the applications which will be directly accessible to those skilled in the art on reading the present application, on their own knowledge, and possibly on simple routine tests.