Heartburn and reflux disease treatment apparatus with energy transfer device

A heartburn and reflux disease treatment apparatus, comprising:

• an energy transmission device for wireless transmission of energy of a first form from outside a patient's body;
• an operable restriction device adapted to be implanted in a patient having heartburn and reflux disease to engage the esophagus or the stomach close to the cardia without forming an upper pouch of the stomach that substantially accumulates food to form a restricted passageway in the stomach or esophagus, said restriction device being designed to work like an artificial sphincter to allow food to readily pass through the passageway and being operable in response to a second energy form different than said first form to restrict the passageway sufficiently so as to substantially prevent regurgitation of stomach acids or foods into the patient's esophagus;
• and
• an energy transfer device adapted to be implanted in the patient for transferring energy of the first form transmitted by said energy transmission device into energy of the second form,
• wherein said energy transfer device comprises at least one semiconductor circuitry creating an energy field when exposed to the first form energy transmitted by said energy transmission device, and said energy field provides the second form energy.

A heartburn and reflux disease treatment apparatus, comprising:

• an energy transmission device for wireless transmission of energy of a first form from outside a patient's body;
• an operable restriction device adapted to be implanted in a patient having heartburn and reflux disease to engage the esophagus or the stomach close to the cardia without forming an upper pouch of the stomach that substantially accumulates food to form a restricted passageway in the stomach or esophagus, said restriction device being designed to work like an artificial sphincter to allow food to readily pass through the passageway and being operable in response to a second energy form different than said first form to restrict the passageway sufficiently so as to substantially prevent regurgitation of stomach acids or foods into the patient's esophagus;
• and
• an energy transfer device adapted to be implanted in the patient for transferring energy of the first form transmitted by said energy transmission device into energy of the second form,
• wherein said energy transfer device comprises at least one transistor circuitry creating an energy field when exposed to the first form energy transmitted by said energy transmission device, and said energy field provides the second form energy.

A heartburn and reflux disease treatment apparatus, comprising:

• an energy transmission device for wireless transmission of energy of a first form from outside a patient's body;
• an operable restriction device adapted to be implanted in a patient having heartburn and reflux disease to engage the esophagus or the stomach close to the cardia without forming an upper pouch of the stomach that substantially accumulates food to form a restricted passageway in the stomach or esophagus, said restriction device being designed to work like an artificial sphincter to allow food to readily pass through the passageway and being operable in response to a second energy form different than said first form to restrict the passageway sufficiently so as to substantially prevent regurgitation of stomach acids or foods into the patient's esophagus;
• and
• an energy transfer device adapted to be implanted in the patient for transferring energy of the first form transmitted by said energy transmission device into energy of the second form,
• wherein said energy transfer device comprises at least one microchip creating an energy field when exposed to the first form energy transmitted by said energy transmission device, and said energy field provides the second form energy.

A laparoscopic surgical method of implanting a heartburn and reflux disease treatment apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• a) laparoscopically placing an operable restriction device of the apparatus through the abdomen or thorax of a patient,
• b) placing at least two laparoscopic trocars within the patient's body,
• c) using a dissecting tool inserted through the laparoscopic trocars, dissecting the region of the esophagus or stomach,
• d) introducing the restriction device through the trocars,
• e) placing the restriction device in engagement with the esophagus or the stomach close to the cardia without forming an upper pouch of the stomach that substantially accumulates food to create a restricted stoma,
• f) implanting in the patient an energy transfer device of the apparatus capable of transferring wireless energy of a first form into energy of a second form different than the first form, and
• g) operating the restriction device with energy of the second form produced by the energy transfer device to enlarge the restricted stoma to allow food to readily pass therethrough into the stomach and to restrict the restricted stoma sufficiently so as to substantially prevent regurgitation of stomach acids and foods into the esophagus.

A method of treating a human or animal having heartburn and reflux disease comprising:

• (a) surgically implanting in the human or animal a restriction device in engagement with the esophagus or the stomach close to the cardia without forming an upper pouch of the stomach for food to form a restricted passageway in the stomach or esophagus;
• (b) surgically implanting in the human or animal an operation device which can adjust the restricted passageway in response to supplied energy;
• (c) surgically implanting in the human or animal an energy transfer device for transferring wireless energy into an energy form suited for powering the operation device, and
• (d) in a non-invasive post-operative procedure, from time to time, powering the operation device with energy transferred by the energy transfer device so as (i) to enlarge the restricted passageway to allow food to readily pass therethrough into the human's or animal's stomach, or to allow the human or animal to regurgitate, or (ii) to restrict the restricted passageway sufficiently so as to substantially prevent regurgitation of stomach acids and foods into the esophagus.