Implantable access port system

Abstract

An implantable injection port comprises a base. A first gear is coupled to the base, and a first anchor is coupled to the first gear. A second gear is coupled to the base, and a second anchor is coupled to the second gear. A top portion of the injection port is spaced apart from the base of the port and has a first plurality of top teeth that engage with a first plurality of gear teeth on the first gear. This engagement occurs prior to rotation of the second gear. The top portion rotates, which causes rotation of the first gear, which in turn causes movement of the first anchor through the anchor opening of the base and into the tissue of the patient. The first gear and the second gear rotate non-simultaneously.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implantable injection port for use with a gastric band for treating obesity and for attaching to a tissue of a patient, the implantable injection port comprising:
 a base having a first anchor opening;   a first gear coupled to the base and rotatable about a first axis, the first gear having a first plurality of gear teeth;   a second gear coupled to the base and rotatable about a second axis, the second gear having a second plurality of gear teeth;   a first anchor coupled to the first gear; and   a top portion spaced apart from the base and having a first plurality of top teeth that engage with the first plurality of gear teeth on the first gear prior to rotation of the second gear, the top portion being rotatable causing rotation of the first gear such that the rotation of the first gear causes movement of the first anchor through the anchor opening of the base and into the tissue of the patient.   
     
     
         2 . The implantable injection port of  claim 1 , wherein the first gear rotates about the first axis independently of the second gear. 
     
     
         3 . The implantable injection port of  claim 1 , further comprising a second anchor coupled to the second gear. 
     
     
         4 . The implantable injection port of  claim 3 , wherein subsequent to the first plurality of top teeth engaging with the first plurality of gear teeth on the first gear, the first plurality of top teeth engages with the second plurality of gear teeth on the second gear. 
     
     
         5 . The implantable injection port of  claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of top teeth engages with the second plurality of gear teeth to cause rotation of the second gear, which causes movement of the second anchor through a second anchor opening of the base and into the tissue of the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The implantable injection port of  claim 5 , wherein the first anchor and the second anchor move non-simultaneously into the tissue of the patient. 
     
     
         7 . The implantable injection port of  claim 5 , wherein the first anchor moves into the tissue of the patient at a first time, and wherein the second anchor moves into the tissue of the patient a second time different than the first time. 
     
     
         8 . The implantable injection port of  claim 1 , further comprising a third gear coupled to the base and rotatable about a third axis, the third gear having a third anchor and a third plurality of gear teeth. 
     
     
         9 . The implantable injection port of  claim 8 , wherein the top portion comprises a third plurality of top teeth that engage with the third plurality of gear teeth on the third gear to cause movement of the third anchor through a third anchor opening of the base and into the tissue of the patient. 
     
     
         10 . The implantable injection port of  claim 9 , wherein the third plurality of top teeth engage with the third plurality of gear teeth simultaneously with the engagement of the first plurality of top teeth and the first plurality of gear teeth. 
     
     
         11 . The implantable injection port of  claim 9 , wherein the third plurality of top teeth engage with the third plurality of gear teeth at a first time, and wherein the first plurality of top teeth engage with the first plurality of gear teeth at the first time. 
     
     
         12 . The implantable injection port of  claim 8 , wherein the third axis is collinear with the first axis. 
     
     
         13 . The implantable injection port of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable injection port is attached to the tissue of the patient with an actuation device capable of non-simultaneously rotating the first gear and the second gear. 
     
     
         14 . The implantable injection port of  claim 1 , further comprising a septum positioned within a center opening of the top portion and made of a self sealing needle penetrable material. 
     
     
         15 . The implantable injection port of  claim 14 , further comprising a reservoir positioned underneath the septum and between the top portion and the base for holding fluid. 
     
     
         16 . An actuation device for attaching an implantable injection port to a tissue of a patient, the actuation device comprising:
 a head configured to be coupled to the implantable injection port;   a first drive band coupled to a trigger of the actuation device;   a second drive band coupled to the first drive band for translating motion from the trigger of the actuation device to the second drive band, wherein the second drive band is configured to interface with a top portion of the implantable injection port to facilitate deploying an anchor of the implantable injection port into the tissue of the patient; and   a switch operable to direct the second drive band to rotate the top portion of the implantable injection port in an implanting direction or a retracting direction.   
     
     
         17 . The actuation device of  claim 16 , wherein a face of the first drive band is substantially perpendicular to a face of the second drive band, and wherein the first drive band is a horizontal drive band and the second drive band is a vertical drive band. 
     
     
         18 . The actuation device of  claim 16 , wherein the head is a gripping portion configured to be coupled to the implantable injection port via a snap feature. 
     
     
         19 . The actuation device of  claim 16 , wherein the implanting direction of the top portion facilitates implanting the anchor in the tissue of the patient, and wherein the retracting direction of the top portion facilitates retracting the anchor from the tissue of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The actuation device of  claim 16 , wherein the implanting direction is clockwise and the retracting direction is counter clockwise. 
     
     
         21 . The actuation device of  claim 16 , wherein the switch is manually or automatically toggled to a retracting mode after the trigger is depressed and released to implant the anchor in the tissue of the patient. 
     
     
         22 . The actuation device of  claim 21 , wherein the switch is toggled by rotating from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position guides the second drive band to rotate the top portion of the implantable injection port in the implanting direction, and wherein the second position guides the second drive band to rotate the top portion of the implantable injection port in the retracting direction. 
     
     
         23 . A method for implanting an implantable injection port in a tissue of a patient, the method comprising:
 coupling a gripping portion of an actuation device to a top portion of the implantable injection port;   depressing a trigger of the actuation device when a switch in the actuation device is located in an implanting orientation;   directing a vertical drive band through the switch to contact the top portion of the implantable injection port and rotate the top portion in an implanting direction;   implanting, at a first time, a first anchor into the tissue of the patient in response to a first set of top teeth causing a first gear to rotate, wherein the first anchor is coupled to the first gear;   implanting, at a second time, a second anchor into the tissue of the patient in response to the first set of top teeth causing a second gear to rotate, wherein the second anchor is coupled to the second gear; and   toggling the switch to an extracting orientation in response to the trigger being released.   
     
     
         24 . A system for implanting an implantable injection port in a tissue of a patient, the system comprising:
 an actuation device for attaching the implantable injection port to the tissue of the patient, the actuation device comprising:
 a head configured to be coupled to the implantable injection port; 
 a first drive band coupled to a trigger of the actuation device; 
 a second drive band coupled to the first drive band for translating motion from the trigger of the actuation device to the second drive band, wherein the second drive band is configured to interface with a top portion of the implantable injection port to facilitate deploying an anchor of the implantable injection port into the tissue of the patient; and 
 a switch operable to direct the second drive band to rotate the top portion of the implantable injection port in an implanting direction or a retracting direction; 
   wherein the implantable injection port comprises:
 a base having an anchor opening; 
 a first gear coupled to the base and rotatable about a first axis, the first gear having a first plurality of gear teeth; and 
 a second gear coupled to the base and rotatable about a second axis, the second gear having a second plurality of gear teeth; 
 wherein the anchor is coupled to the first gear, and 
 wherein the top portion is spaced apart from the base and has a first plurality of top teeth that engage with the first plurality of gear teeth on the first gear prior to a second plurality of top teeth engaging with the second plurality of gear teeth on the second gear, the top portion being rotatable causing rotation of the first gear such that the rotation of the first gear causes movement of the anchor through the anchor opening of the base and into the tissue of the patient.