Patent ID: 6589213
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
A medical device controllable from outside a subject's body for movement into the gastrointestinal tract and removal therefrom, the device comprising:an elongated member having a diameter sufficiently large to engage walls of the gastrointestinal tract; and an external surface structure disposed about the outer surface of the elongate member and configured to facilitate ingress of the device through the gastrointestinal tract in response to an antegrade peristaltic wave, the external surface structure including a first coefficient of friction which is encountered by the walls of the gastrointestinal tract during the ingress of the device relative to the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, and a second coefficient of friction which is encountered by the walls of the gastrointestinal tract during egress of the device relative to the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, the second coefficient of friction being larger than the first coefficient of friction, wherein said second coefficient is sufficiently large to cause ingress of the elongate member by permitting the elongate member to be carried through the gastrointestinal tract by the antegrade peristaltic wave, wherein said first coefficient of friction is sufficiently small so as to not inhibit ingress of the elongate member in response to the antegrade peristaltic wave, wherein said second coefficient is sufficiently small to prevent the elongate member from causing trauma to the walls of the gastrointestinal tract during egress and removal of the elongate member, and wherein said surface structure comprises a removable surface structure retained upon said device.