Patent ID: 8801597

Claim:
A gastric banding system for the treatment of obesity comprising: a gastric band including an inflatable portion; a tube having a first end connected to the inflatable portion and a second end; an access port including: a housing defining an internal fluid reservoir and having a conduit with a fluid tight connection to the second end of the tube, the conduit permitting movement of fluid into and out of the internal fluid reservoir to thereby establish a fluid communication between the internal fluid reservoir and the inflatable portion of the gastric band, a needle penetrable septum positioned within and forming a top surface of the housing, a rivet receiving portion defined at an outer circumferential portion of the housing, and a rivet engaging member attached to the housing and located within the rivet receiving portion; a mesh rivet having a head portion with a tapered insertion portion configured to fit inside the rivet receiving portion and a housing engaging member configured to contact and engage the rivet engaging member inside the rivet receiving portion of the access port to prevent the head portion of the mesh rivet from exiting the rivet receiving portion of the access port, and a base portion attached to the head portion; and a mesh layer having a plurality of openings for allowing the head portion of the mesh rivet to pass through one of the plurality of openings while not allowing the base portion of the mesh rivet to pass through one of the plurality of openings to hold the mesh layer between the base portion of the mesh rivet and the access port, wherein the surface area of the base portion of the mesh rivet is larger than an opening of the mesh layer, the mesh layer assisting attachment of the access port to a patient upon implantation of the gastric banding system in the patient.