Patent ID: 7458930

Claim:
An artificial sphincter system comprising: a collar adapted to surround a portion of an anatomical conduit, the collar comprising a flexible, biocompatible material having a substantially circular configuration with closed ends connectable to one another; a variable viscosity fluid contained within the collar, the variable viscosity fluid having at least a liquefied state and a solidified state, the collar includes a plurality of compartments formed from inner walls, each compartment comprising independently controlled variable viscosity fluids; a sensor that receives pressure data from the anatomical conduit or organ to be emptied through the anatomical conduit; a first control unit having an “ON” mode that creates conditions that change the variable viscosity fluid within the collar from the liquefied state to the solidified state, and an “OFF” mode that changes the variable viscosity fluid from the solidified state to the liquefied state, wherein the collar having the variable viscosity fluid in a solidified state restricts fluid flow through the anatomical conduit, and the collar having the variable viscosity fluid in a liquefied state permits fluid flow through the anatomical conduit, the first control unit being configured to apply at least one of an electric potential or magnetic field to the variable viscosity fluid contained within the collar, the first control unit being implantable within the patent; and a second control unit operable by a patient, the second control unit having only an active input state and an inactive input state, wherein the active state of the second control unit overrides the current mode of the first control unit, the second control unit includes a display screen identifying whether the second control unit is active or inactive.