Medical device suitable for treating reflux from a stomach to an oesophagus

A medical device suitable for treating reflux from a stomach to an oesophagus, the device comprising:

• a valve member which is movable between an open configuration to facilitate passage of material between an oesophagus and a stomach, and a closed configuration;
• and
• a generally tubular support member to support the valve member relative to an oesophagus and/or a stomach,
• the valve member including valve leaflets extending substantially radially inwardly of the support member, the valve leaflets being movable between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration,
• the valve member being formed of a viscoelastic, biomimetic foam;
• the valve member being a two-way leaflet valve,
• the valve leaflets being compressed and moved from the expanded configuration to the contracted configuration when the valve member is both in the open configuration to allow antigrade flow from the oesophagus into the stomach and in the open configuration to allow retrograde flow from the stomach into the oesophagus and;
• the valve leaflets gradually expanding to the expanded configuration from the contracted configuration when the valve member is in the closed configuration to resist retrograde flow from the stomach into the oesophagus.