Patent ID: 8715157

Claim:
An implant for use in a patient's body comprising: a plurality of magnetic elements; and means for maintaining the magnetic elements in a serial array that can be disposed to extend in a circumferential direction around a body tissue structure in the patient, each of the magnetic elements magnetically attracting at least one other circumferentially adjacent one of the magnetic elements and being able to move in the circumferential direction toward and away from that other circumferentially adjacent magnetic element, a maximum force of magnetic attraction, over a given separation distance, between a first pair of circumferentially adjacent ones of the magnetic elements that are able to move toward and away from one another being greater than a maximum force of magnetic attraction, over the given separation distance, between a second pair of circumferentially adjacent ones of the magnetic elements that are able to move toward and away from one another, the means for maintaining including respective links defining a maximum separation distance between the magnetic elements in each respective first pair, and between the magnetic elements in each respective second pair.