Patent ID: 7297103

Claim:
A gastric ring for treatment of obesity, comprising: a band wherein the band forms, at a first end, an eyelet delimiting a shoulder, and in that it has, at a second opposite end, a tapered shape facilitating insertion of the second end into the eyelet, this second end comprising at least one snap-fit catch intended to be snap-fitted into the eyelet and to cooperate with the shoulder in order to maintain the band in the form of a ring, the band adapted to surround the stomach of a patient, and having at least one deformable zone made of a material that is elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction of the band, the deformable zone having at least two bearing points formed therein at respective locations separated in the longitudinal direction of the band, and at least one rigid element made of bioabsorbable or biodegradable material and bearing against the deformable zone in the area of the bearing points, each rigid element, before absorption or degradation, maintaining two bearing points at a distance from one another different than the distance separating the two bearing points in the absence of elastic deformation of the deformable zone of the band, and, upon absorption or degradation, releasing the deformable zone of the band between the two bearing points so as to allow the deformable zone to return to the nondeformed state, wherein at least the deformable zone of the band is made of silicone.