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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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 . A kit comprising first and second devices for treating obesity by limiting absorption of food through a wall of a duodenum of a patient, the kit comprising:
 a first device having a first sleeve configured and dimensioned for insertion into the duodenum of the patient, the first sleeve having a proximal portion, a distal portion and an intermediate portion between the distal and proximal portions, the first 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; and   a second device having a second sleeve configured and dimensioned for insertion into the duodenum of the patient, the second sleeve having a proximal portion, a distal portion and an intermediate portion between the distal and proximal portions, the second sleeve including a plurality of second blocking areas and a plurality of second food absorption areas, the second blocking areas providing duodenum wall covers to prevent food absorption through the duodenum wall and the second blocking areas together defining a second total blocking area, the second food absorption areas providing access to the duodenum wall and together defining a second total absorption area to enable food absorption through the duodenum wall, wherein the second total blocking area is greater than the first total blocking area and the second total absorption area is less than the first total absorption area.   
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the first absorption areas include a first plurality of pores formed in a first covering material of the first sleeve and the second absorption areas include a second plurality of pores formed in a second covering material of the second sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the first blocking areas include a first plurality of spiral sections and the second blocking areas include a second plurality of spiral sections. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 12 , wherein a number of pores in the first plurality of pores is greater than a number of pores in the second plurality of pores. 
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 11 , wherein a size of the pores in the first plurality of pores is greater than a size of the pores in the second plurality of pores. 
     
     
         16 . The kit of  claim 13 , wherein a width of the spiral sections of the first plurality of spiral sections is less than a width of the spiral sections of the second plurality of spiral sections. 
     
     
         17 . The kit of  claim 13 , wherein a pitch of the spiral sections of the first plurality of spiral sections is greater than a pitch of the spiral sections of the second plurality of spiral sections. 
     
     
         18 . A method for treating obesity comprising:
 providing a sleeve having a series of blocking areas and a series of non-blocking areas;   inserting the sleeve into the duodenum; and   leaving the sleeve in the duodenum so that food absorption through a wall of the duodenum is blocked by the series of blocking areas and allowed by the series of non-blocking areas.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of removing the sleeve after a period of time. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of inserting a second sleeve having a total blocking area different than a total blocking area of the removed sleeve.