Patent ID: 9662117
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F,A61N

Claim:
1. A flow control apparatus for controlling a flow of fluid and/or other matter in a lumen formed by a tissue wall of a patient's organ, the apparatus comprising: a control device adapted to control contraction of the tissue wall to influence the flow in the lumen, an implantable constriction device adapted to gently and simultaneously constrict a series of wall portions comprising three or more wall portions of the tissue wall to influence the flow in the lumen, wherein the constriction device gently constricts the series of wall portions by constricting the series of wall portions to a constricted state in which the blood circulation in the constricted series of wall portions is substantially unrestricted and the flow in the lumen is at least restricted, an implantable energized stimulation device adapted to individually and independently stimulate a selected wall portion of the series of wall portions, comprising three or more wall portions, and wherein the control device is operable to control the stimulation device to stimulate the selected wall portion, as the constriction device constricts the series of wall portions, to cause contraction of the selected wall portion to further influence the flow in the lumen, wherein the control device further is operable to control the stimulation device, when the constriction device is holding the series of wall portions in the constricted state, to intermittently and individually stimulate different wall portions of the series of wall portions, such that at least two of the different wall portions are stimulated at different points of time, wherein the control device is operable to control the stimulation device to intermittently stimulate the different wall portions during successive time periods, and wherein the control device is operable: to control the constriction device to adjust the constriction of the series of the wall portions, such that the flow in the lumen is restricted but not stopped, and is operable to control the stimulation device to stimulate the constricted wall portions individually to cause contraction thereof, such that the flow in the lumen is further restricted but not stopped, or to control the stimulation device in a first mode to stimulate the constricted wall portions individually to stop the flow in the lumen and to control the stimulation device in a second mode to cease the stimulation of the wall portion to allow flow in the lumen.