Abstract: An implantable pump for pumping fluid to or from a hydraulic surgical implant inside a human's or an animal's body comprises a wall forming a chamber for the fluid, the wall including a base plate and a membrane, which is displaceable relative to the base plate to change the volume of the chamber to pump the fluid between the chamber and the surgical implant. The membrane is penetrable by an injection needle to add hydraulic fluid to or withdraw hydraulic fluid from the chamber, in order to calibrate the amount of fluid, and the membrane is self-sealing to seal the hole which is formed in the membrane by the penetrating injection needle. The implant typically is a hydraulic constriction device, which can be designed for treating reflux disease, urinary incontinence, impotence, anal incontinence or obesity.

Abstract: An implantable pump for pumping fluid to or from a hydraulic surgical implant inside a human's or an animal's body comprises a wall forming a chamber for the fluid, the wall including a base plate and a membrane, which is displaceable relative to the base plate to change the volume of the chamber to pump the fluid between the chamber and the surgical implant. The membrane is penetrable by an injection needle to add hydraulic fluid to or withdraw hydraulic fluid from the chamber, in order to calibrate the amount of fluid, and the membrane is self-sealing to seal the hole which is formed in the membrane by the penetrating injection needle. The implant typically is a hydraulic constriction device, which can be designed for treating reflux disease, urinary incontinence, impotence, anal incontinence or obesity.

Abstract: An implantable pump for pumping fluid to or from a hydraulic surgical implant inside a human's or an animal's body comprises a wall forming a chamber for the fluid, the wall including a base plate and a membrane, which is displaceable relative to the base plate to change the volume of the chamber to pump the fluid between the chamber and the surgical implant. The membrane is penetrable by an injection needle to add hydraulic fluid to or withdraw hydraulic fluid from the chamber, in order to calibrate the amount of fluid, and the membrane is self-sealing to seal the hole which is formed in the membrane by the penetrating injection needle. The implant typically is a hydraulic constriction device, which can be designed for treating reflux disease, urinary incontinence, impotence, anal incontinence or obesity.

Abstract: A male sexual impotence treatment apparatus comprises a constriction device (3,6) implanted in a male patient, who suffers from sexual impotence, and engaging the patient's penile tissue or the prolongation thereof, and an electrically powered operation device, which is integrated with the constriction device and adapted to operate the latter to temporarily constrict the penile tissue or the prolongation thereof to restrict the penile exit blood flow to achieve erection. An electric power supply (14) is subcutaneously implanted in the patient remote from the constriction device and an insulated electric wire (18) connects the power supply and the electrically powered operation device. The electric wire is resilient and extends helically between the electric power supply and the electrically powered operation device.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating an anal or urinary incontinent patient comprises a constriction device applied on the patient's large intestine or urethra, and an electrically powered operation device, which is integrated with the constriction device and adapted to operate the latter to constrict the large intestine or urethra to close the intestinal or urethral lumen and to release the large intestine or urethra to open the intestinal or urethral lumen. An electric power supply is subcutaneously implanted in the patient remote from the constriction device and an insulated electric wire connects the power supply and the electrically powered operation device. The electric wire is resilient and extends helically between the electric power supply and the electrically powered operation device. As a result, the resilient helically extending electric wire is capable of addressing the movements from the large intestine or urethra, because it may easily be temporarily extended without risking breakage.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating an anal or urinary incontinent patient includes a constriction device is applied on the patient's large intestine or urethra. The constriction device includes an elongate adjustable constriction member extending in a loop around and consisting the large intestine or urethra. An adjustment device adjusts the longitudinal extension of the constriction member in the loop to close the intestinal or urethral lumen and release the large intestine or urethra to open the intestinal or urethral lumen. A layer of a soft viscoelastic material extends between the constriction device and the patient's large intestine or urethra to protect the large intestine or urethra from being eroded by the constriction device.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an injection port subcutaneously implanted in a patient includes a magnetic device, such as a permanent magnet or a solenoid, that emits a local magnetic field, and a magnetic detector, preferably including at least one Hall element, that detects the local magnetic field. The magnetic device is designed to be subcutaneously implanted in the patient at the implanted injection port, and the magnetic detector is movable externally along the patient's body to establish an injection position at the patient's skin in front of the implanted injection port where the local magnetic field emitted by the magnetic device is detected by the magnetic detector. As a result, an injection needle can be placed in the established injection position, in order to insert the injection needle through the patient's skin directly into the injection port substantially in the centre thereof.

Abstract: A male sexual impotence treatment apparatus includes an elongate adjustable constriction member extending in a loop around a male patient's penile tissue or the prolongation thereof. An adjustment device adjusts the longitudinal extension of the constriction member in the loop to temporarily constrict the penile tissue or the prolongation thereof to restrict the penile exit blood flow to achieve erection. A layer of a soft viscoelastic material is applied on the constriction member such that it is located between the constriction member and the patient's penile tissue or the prolongation thereof at least along a portion of the constriction member to protect the penile tissue or the prolongation thereof from being eroded by the constriction member.

Abstract: An apparatus for distributing a liquid in a patient's body comprises an implantable pump adapted to pump the liquid and an implantable valve device adapted to direct the liquid pumped by the pump. A first ceramic valve member of the valve device includes a first plane surface and a second ceramic valve member of the valve device includes a second plane surface facing and touching the first plane surface. The second valve member is displaceable relative to the first valve member between different positions, wherein the valve members include different liquid channels. The valve device is operable to displace the second valve member to hydraulically connect the pump to at least one of the liquid channels in at least one of the positions.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for detecting a wireless energy receiving device subcutaneously implanted in a patient's body to enable accurate positioning of a wireless energy transmission device outside the patient's body relative to the energy receiving device. Also disclosed is a method for detecting the wireless energy receiving device whereby an energy transmission device can be positioned to efficiently transmit wireless energy to the implanted energy receiving device. The apparatus includes a magnetic device that is subcutaneously implanted in the patient adjacent to the energy receiving device to emit a local magnetic field through the patient's skin adjacent to the energy receiving device. A magnetic detector movable externally along the patient's body is capable of detecting the local magnetic field emitted by the magnetic device. This allows the energy transmission device to be located for the efficient transmission of wireless energy to the implanted energy receiving device.

Abstract: A pump for medical implantation is disclosed which comprises a housing forming a cylindrical cavity, a cylindrical piston movable in the cavity for providing fluid communication between the cavity and channels opening to the cavity, and a motion device for magnetically rotating the piston and moving it back and forth to provide fluid flow between the cavity and the channels. Advantageously, the cylindrical piston is movable as a loose body in the cavity, and thus, functions as a valve. As a result, the pump of the invention is simple and very reliable, since it is devoid of traditional valves. When implanted in a patient, the pump can be used to pump hydraulic fluid between a reservoir and a hydraulic constriction device also implanted in a patient to thereby operate the device and form a the constriction of a passage of the patient's organ. Also disclosed is a method for laparascopically implanting the hydraulically operable implant together with the pump in a patient's abdomen.