Artificial sphincter with inflatable cuff

Claim 1

In an artificial sphincter having an inflatable cuff for closing off a body passage and fastening means for securing the cuff in position around the outer wall of the body passage, the improved fastening means which comprises: (a) a flexible reinforcing belt for encircling the cuff and securing said cuff in place around the outer wall of the passage, said belt having an intermediate section of substantially uniform thickness throughout, and a pair of ends, at least one of said ends having a pair of relatively narrow spaced apart terminal flexible elongated fingers which can be threaded through the mesentery of the body passage so that they do not interfere with blood flow through the vessels which supply blood to the outer wall of the passage, said fingers, and the other end of said belt having enlarged beads, and (b) a separate clip for securing the two ends of the belt together once it is in place, said clip having means for receiving and retaining the beads of the fingers and the other end of the belt.