Patent ID: 7311717

Claim:
A device for generating an artificial constriction in the gastrointestinal tract, comprising: a band having a first end and a second end, said band being configured to be annularly placed about the gastrointestinal tract to thereby encompass a portion of the gastrointestinal tract; a piston-cylinder unit for varying the size of a passageway opening of the portion of the gastrointestinal tract encompassed by said band, said piston-cylinder unit including a cylinder in proximity to said first end of said band and a piston in proximity to said second end of said band; said band and said piston-cylinder unit being interconnected and arranged such that, in an open state of said device, at least one of said piston and said cylinder is disconnected from one of said first end and said second end of said band to allow said band to be annularly placed about the gastrointestinal tract, and such that, in a closed state of said device, said cylinder is connected to said band at a location in proximity to said first end of said band and said piston is connected to said band at a location in proximity to said second end of said band to form a ring around the portion of the gastrointestinal tract.