Bioerodible Self-Deploying Intragastric Implants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intragastric volume-occupying devices for obesity management often require surgical procedures for placement and lack a bioerodible, self-deploying implant that can be swallowed and self-inflate within the stomach to curb appetite effectively.
Innovation Solution
Development of bioerodible, self-deploying intragastric implants constructed from discrete expandable members that inflate using a swallowed gas-producing composition, providing pressure on the stomach wall to induce satiety without external inflating valving, and dissolving or degrading after a selected period.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional intragastric volume-occupying devices are used, then satiety effect is achieved, but surgical intervention is required for placement
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is designed to be self-deploying and self-inflating upon swallowing. The device automatically expands within the stomach using gas-producing composition without requiring external inflating valving or surgical intervention, allowing the patient to administer the implant orally and achieve satiety effect independently
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical inflating systems with a chemical gas-producing composition. Instead of using external valves and mechanical inflation devices, the implant utilizes a swallowed gas-producing composition that chemically generates gas to inflate the implant automatically within the stomach
2Duration of action of moving object
If bioerodible materials are used for the implant, then dissolution after selected period is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the dissolution rate by adjusting material parameters such as polymer composition, molecular weight, and crystallinity. The bioerodible polymer composition is specifically selected to provide controlled erosion rates that match the desired residence time in the stomach, allowing precise control over implant degradation without requiring complex manufacturing tolerances
3Extent of automation
If discrete expandable members are used, then self-deployment is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is constructed from discrete expandable members that can be independently deployed within the stomach. This segmentation allows the device to be assembled from multiple simpler components rather than requiring a single complex structure, achieving self-deployment through the coordinated expansion of individual members while maintaining overall device manageability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The implants effectively reduce food intake by providing a feeling of fullness without surgical intervention, offering a cost-effective, biodegradable solution tailored to individual patient needs, with adjustable expansion and dissolution times based on patient characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
The implant may be constructed from one or more discrete expandable members. The implants may be swallowed and may be self-deployable. Also described are treatments for curbing an individual's appetite by using those devices.
Implementation Method 2
bioerodible, biodegradable, or digestible self-deploying intragastric implants that may be swallowed. The implants then dissolve or are disassembled perhaps using gastric liquids
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are bioerodible, biodegradable, or digestible self-deploying intragastric implants that may be swallowed. Once swallowed, the implants undergo self-expansion in the stomach and apply a suitable pressure against the stomach wall to provide a feeling of satiety to the individual. The implants then dissolve or are disassembled perhaps using gastric liquids and pass out of the stomach. Methods of using the devices, perhaps for an individual participating in a dietary control regimen, are described.