Duodenum sleeve for treating obesity

Abstract

A device for treating obesity by limiting absorption of food through a wall of a duodenum of a patient including a sleeve inserted into the duodenum of a patient. The sleeve includes a plurality of first blocking areas and a plurality of first food absorption areas, the first blocking areas providing duodenum wall covers to prevent food absorption through the duodenum wall and the first blocking areas together defining a first total blocking area. The first food absorption areas providing access to the duodenum wall to enable food absorption through the duodenum wall and the first food absorption areas together defining a first total absorption area.

1 . A device for treating obesity by limiting absorption of food through a wall of a duodenum of a patient, the device comprising a sleeve configured and dimensioned for insertion into the duodenum of the patient, the sleeve having a proximal portion, a distal portion and an intermediate portion between the distal and proximal portions, the sleeve including a plurality of first blocking areas and a plurality of first food absorption areas, the first blocking areas providing duodenum wall covers to prevent food absorption through the duodenum wall and the first blocking areas together defining a first total blocking area, the first food absorption areas providing access to the duodenum wall to enable food absorption through the duodenum wall and the first food absorption areas together defining a first total absorption area. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first blocking areas include a plurality of spiral sections and the first food absorption areas include a plurality of gaps between the spiral sections. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a retrieval structure at a proximal portion for retrieval of the sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a retrieval structure at a distal portion for retrieval of the sleeve. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes a spiral configuration having a double helix configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate portion of the sleeve has a transverse dimension less than a transverse dimension of the proximal portion, the intermediate portion adapted to be positioned adjacent a sphincter of the patient. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein some of the first blocking areas have a dimension different than a dimension of other of the first blocking areas. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first blocking areas are formed by a covering material positioned over an internal support, and the first absorption areas are formed by a plurality of pores formed in the covering material. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the internal support includes a series of spirals. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the internal support includes a mesh material. 
     
     
         11 - 20 . (canceled)