Intestinal barrier sleeve with expandable anchor section

Abstract

An intestinal barrier sleeve and corresponding treatments using the sleeve are provided herein. The sleeve generally includes an expanding section coupled to a tubular section at an interface there between. The expanding section is expandable from at least a first collapsed position to at least one expanded position, where the expanding section has a conical shape that when expanded retains the sleeve in the subject gastrointestinal tract. The expanding section may further include a plurality of petal-like elements extending radially from the narrow end of the conical shape and the petal-like elements may be interconnected with a webbing to form the conical shape.

1 . A method for treating a subject with an ailment, the method comprising:
 maintaining an intestinal barrier sleeve in a collapsed position, wherein the sleeve comprises an expanding section coupled to a tubular section at an interface therebetween, the expanding section expandable from at least the first collapsed position to at least one expanded position;   placing the sleeve with a collapsing section in the first collapsed position into a subject's gastrointestinal tract endoscopically;   expanding the expanding section within the subject's gastrointestinal tract therewith retaining the sleeve in the subject's gastrointestinal tract, wherein:   the expanding section has a trumpet shape with a hole therein at a narrow end of the trumpet shape, and wherein the trumpet shape is in communication with a lumen of the tubular section through the hole;   the expanding section comprises a plurality of rectangular-shaped elements that are deformed in the expanded position, the plurality of rectangular-shaped elements including backbone elements; and the expanding section further comprises a webbing that couples the backbone elements together.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is placed in the subject's gastrointestinal tract so that the expanding section is located within the subject's pyloric canal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sleeve is placed in the subject's gastrointestinal tract so that the tubular section passes through the subject's pyloric sphincter and extends into the subject's small intestine. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the tubular section is comprised of at least in part of a flexible material. 
     
     
         5 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expanding section in the at least one expanded position provides resistance to retain the intestinal barrier sleeve within the subject's gastrointestinal tract without affixing the intestinal barrier sleeve directly to walls of the subject's gastrointestinal tract. 
     
     
         8 . An intestinal barrier sleeve comprising an expanding anchor section coupled to a tubular section at an interface therebetween at a proximal end of the tubular section, the expanding anchor section expandable from at least one collapsed position to at least one expanded position, wherein in the collapsed position the expanded section has a compact shape that allows the sleeve to be placed into a subject's gastrointestinal tract endoscopically and in the expanded position the expanding anchor section retains the sleeve in the subject's stomach near the gastrointestinal tract, wherein:
 the expanding anchor section has a trumpet shape with a hole therein at a narrow end of the trumpet shape, and wherein the trumpet shape is in communication with a lumen of the tubular section through the hole;   the expanding anchor section comprises a plurality of rectangular-shaped elements that are deformed in the expanded position, the plurality of rectangular-shaped elements including backbone elements; and   the expanding section further comprises a webbing that couples the backbone elements together.   
     
     
         9 . The sleeve of  claim 8 , wherein the expanding anchor section in the at least one expanded position provides resistance to retain the intestinal barrier sleeve within the subject's gastrointestinal tract without affixing the intestinal barrier sleeve directly to walls of the subject's gastrointestinal tract. 
     
     
         10 . The sleeve of  claim 8 , wherein the sleeve allows for placement in the subject's gastrointestinal tract so that the expanding anchor section is located within the subject's pyloric canal. 
     
     
         11 . The sleeve of  claim 10 , wherein the sleeve allows for placement in the subject's gastrointestinal tract so that the tubular section passes through the subject's pyloric sphincter and extends into the subject's small intestine. 
     
     
         12 . The sleeve of  claim 11 , wherein the tubular section is comprised of at least in part of flexible material. 
     
     
         13 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An intestinal barrier sleeve comprising an expanding section coupled to a tubular section at an interface therebetween, the expanding section expandable from at least a first collapsed position to at least one expanded position, wherein:
 the expanding section has a trumpet shape with a hole therein at a narrow end of the trumpet shape;   the trumpet shape is in communication with a lumen of the tubular section through the hole;   the expanding section comprises a plurality of rectangular-shaped elements that are deformed in the expanded position; and   the rectangular-shaped elements are interconnected with a webbing to form the trumpet shape.   
     
     
         16 . The sleeve of  claim 15 , wherein the expanding anchor section in the at least one expanded position provides resistance to retain the intestinal barrier sleeve within the subject's gastrointestinal tract without affixing the intestinal barrier sleeve directly to walls of the subject's gastrointestinal tract. 
     
     
         17 . The sleeve of  claim 15 , wherein the sleeve allows for placement in the subject's gastrointestinal tract so that the expanding anchor section is located within the subject's pyloric canal. 
     
     
         18 . The sleeve of  claim 17 , wherein the sleeve allows for placement in the subject's gastrointestinal tract so that the tubular section passes through the subject's pyloric sphincter and extends into the subject's small intestine. 
     
     
         19 . The sleeve of  claim 18 , wherein the tubular section is comprised of at least in part of a flexible material. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The sleeve of  claim 8 , wherein the sleeve comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: polyester, Gortex, polytetratluoroethyline (PTFE), polyethelene, polypropylene, polyurethane, silicon, steel, stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, or other shape memory alloys, copper, silver, gold, platinum, Kevlar fiber, and carbon fiber. 
     
     
         22 . The sleeve of  claim 8 , wherein the sleeve is covered or coated with a biocompatible material. 
     
     
         23 . The sleeve of  claim 15 , wherein the sleeve comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: polyester, Gortex, polytetratluoroethyline (PTFE), polyethelene, polypropylene, polyurethane, silicon, steel, stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, or other shape memory alloys, copper, silver, gold, platinum, Kevlar fiber, and carbon fiber. 
     
     
         24 . The sleeve of  claim 15 , wherein the sleeve is covered or coated with a biocompatible material.