Patent ID: 8137301

Claim:
A gastrointestinal implant device for being removably fastened to a predetermined location within the gastrointestinal tract, the device comprising: a flexible sleeve, open at both ends, and configured to extend within the intestine, the sleeve being formed of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and being at least one foot in length, the sleeve being noncompliant and having a coefficient of friction less than about 0.2, the sleeve being conformable to collapse in the intestine to a small volume; and a radially collapsible sleeve anchor that maintains a cylindrical form in relaxed and collapsed states, the sleeve anchor being coupled to a proximal portion of the sleeve and configured to removably anchor the sleeve within the digestive system at or distal to the pylorus; and bi-directional barbs extending from the exterior surface of the sleeve anchor, each barb comprising two tines with ends directed in opposite directions from each other and outwardly from the anchor, of which one tine is so oriented at an oblique angle as to prevent longitudinal movement of the device in a first direction and another tine is so oriented at an oblique angle as to prevent longitudinal movement of the device in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction.