Ring Magnet for Obesity Management
AssigneeVibrant Med-El Hearing Technology GmbH
InventorsGeoffrey R. Ball, Dominik Hammerer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for restricting an anatomical passageway includes a plurality of ring magnet pieces. Each of the plurality of ring magnet pieces has an inner and outer surface, and a pair of magnetic end sections between the outer surface and the inner surface, each end section having a characteristic magnetic field arrangement. An insert includes at least one of a magnet and a magnetic material. The ring magnet pieces are capable of forming, due to their magnetic field arrangements, an enclosed ring around an anatomical passageway. The insert is magnetically held in place by the ring magnet pieces when positioned in the anatomical passageway.
Claims27
A system for restricting an anatomical passageway, the system comprising:
- a plurality of ring magnet pieces, each of the plurality of ring magnet pieces including:
- an inner and outer surface;
- and
- a pair of magnetic end sections between the outer surface and the inner surface, each end section having a characteristic magnetic field arrangement;
- and
- an insert that includes at least one of a magnet and a magnetic material, wherein the ring magnet pieces cooperate due to their magnetic field arrangements to form a ring for placing around an anatomical passageway, the insert magnetically held in place by the ring magnet pieces when positioned in the anatomical passageway.
A method for restricting an anatomical passageway, the method comprising:
- placing a plurality of ring magnet pieces around an anatomical passageway such that due to their magnetic field arrangements they are held together to form an enclosed ring around the anatomical passageway;
- and
- inserting a first insert in the anatomical passageway, the first insert including at least one of a magnet and a magnetic material such that the first insert is magnetically held in place by, the ring magnet pieces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.