Extragastric Volume Filling Device for Obesity Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing obesity treatment methods, such as gastric banding and inflatable gastric devices, face challenges with durability due to stomach acids, leading to short device lifespan and inefficacy in long-term satiety management.
Innovation Solution
A volume filling device is invaginated by the stomach wall on the outside, protected from acids, with a biocompatible material and design that reduces stomach volume, incorporating a stretching mechanism to control appetite through fluid connection and adjustable components for long-term functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a balloon-like object is inserted into the stomach to provide satiety, then the patient feels full quickly, but the device is destroyed by stomach acids within a couple of months
Solution Approach 1:
The volume filling device is extracted from the stomach lumen and placed outside the stomach wall, eliminating direct contact with stomach acids. The device is positioned in the peritoneal cavity adjacent to the stomach, where it can still provide satiety through external compression while being protected from the harmful acidic environment inside the stomach.
Solution Approach 2:
The stomach wall itself serves as an intermediary barrier between the volume filling device and the stomach acids. By placing the device outside the stomach wall and using the wall as a protective barrier, the device is shielded from acid exposure while maintaining its therapeutic function through controlled compression of the stomach.
2Reliability
If a volume filling device is placed inside the stomach to reduce food cavity volume, then satiety is achieved, but the device contacts stomach acids leading to degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The volume filling device is extracted from the stomach interior and repositioned outside the stomach wall. This extraction removes the device from the corrosive acidic environment, thereby extending its functional lifespan and durability while maintaining its ability to provide satiety through external stomach compression.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the volume filling device inside the stomach as in conventional approaches, the invention inverts the placement by positioning it outside the stomach wall. This inverted approach achieves the same therapeutic effect of reducing effective stomach volume while protecting the device from acid degradation.
3Ease of operation
If an inflatable balloon is used adjacent to the stomach, then satiety is produced, but the device requires frequent adjustment and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The volume filling device incorporates an adjustable volume mechanism that allows dynamic modification of the device size post-implantation. This enables the device to be adapted to the patient's changing needs over time without requiring removal or replacement, thereby reducing maintenance time and improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device combines multiple functions including volume adjustment, satiety induction, and long-term durability in a single implantable system. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate adjustment procedures and maintenance interventions, reducing overall maintenance time while maintaining operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A volume filling device for treatment of obesity is placed outside the stomach wall of the patient to reduce the inner volume of the stomach, thereby affecting the patient's appetite. By providing the volume filling device outside the stomach wall, contact with stomach acids is avoided, thereby increasing the life of the device.