Methods and devices for intragastric support of functional or prosthetic gastrointestinal devices

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for attaching or maintaining the position of a therapeutic or diagnostic device in a body lumen, such as the GI tract without necessarily requiring any penetrating attachments through any body walls. The system can include at least two elements: a proximal orientation element and a distal support element. The proximal orientation element can be configured to reside at least partially within the esophageal lumen and the distal support element can be configured to reside in the stomach, such as along the greater curve of the stomach. An intragastric support system can have a first configuration in which the long axis of the proximal orientation element is substantially parallel and/or substantially coaxial with the long axis of the distal support element, and a second configuration in which the long axis of the proximal orientation element is not substantially coaxial with the long axis of the distal support element. The second configuration can thus advantageously retain the intragastric support system in place and prevent unwanted proximal migration of the distal support element into the esophagus or distal migration into the intestine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.