Inflatable Gastric Balloon for Volume Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating obesity, such as surgical procedures like gastric bypass, are invasive and costly, and non-invasive solutions are needed to effectively reduce stomach volume and promote weight loss without temporary results.
Innovation Solution
Inflatable balloons and valve structures are placed within the stomach to reduce volume and slow gastric emptying, using materials like super-elastic wires and resilient polymers to ensure food passage and prevent device migration, along with stents and mechanical fixation to secure the devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical procedures like gastric bypass are used to treat obesity, then weight loss effectiveness is improved, but invasiveness and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a balloon as an intermediary device that can be inserted through the esophagus without external incisions. The balloon serves as a mediator between the external world and the stomach interior, allowing volume reduction therapy to be delivered non-invasively while still achieving the therapeutic effect of gastric bypass procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical surgical system (staplers, incisions, external manipulation) with a minimally invasive delivery system that uses endoscopic insertion and internal inflation. The mechanical action of stapling and restructuring the stomach is substituted with the simpler action of inserting and inflating a balloon through natural body openings
2Reliability
If surgical procedures like gastric bypass are used to treat obesity, then weight loss effectiveness is improved, but treatment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes a disposable balloon device that is inserted, used for a limited therapeutic period, and then removed. This single-use approach eliminates the need for expensive, complex surgical infrastructure and allows for standardized manufacturing at lower cost compared to reusable surgical systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential therapeutic function (stomach volume reduction) from the complex surgical procedure, isolating it into a standalone balloon device. This extraction removes the need for expensive surgical配套设施 (operating rooms, specialized equipment, extended hospital stays) while retaining the core weight loss effectiveness
3Duration of action of moving object
If balloon is inflated to reduce stomach volume, then gastric emptying is slowed, but device migration risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates fixation elements (stents, anchors, or adhesive surfaces) on the balloon before insertion. These preliminary fixation features are prepared in advance to engage with the gastric wall once the balloon is inflated, preventing migration before it can occur and ensuring long-term positional stability throughout the therapeutic duration
4Reliability
If balloon material is made compliant to contact stomach wall, then sealing is improved, but lumen collapse risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different regions of the balloon: the outer surface is made compliant and soft to conform to and seal against the stomach wall, while the inner surface or structural framework is made rigid or reinforced to maintain lumen patency and prevent collapse. This local differentiation of material quality resolves the contradiction between sealing and structural integrity
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
These methods simulate gastric bypass, reducing stomach volume, slowing gastric emptying, and promoting weight loss by limiting food intake and nutrient absorption, providing a non-invasive alternative with adjustable restrictions to prevent continuous eating and fluid consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The internal lumen of the balloon may also be reinforced with a super-elastic wire form to prevent lumen collapse
Implementation Method 2
These spokes are sufficiently resilient to only flex open to allow large amounts of food to pass. As the patient eats, food builds up on the spokes, until the weight is great enough to deflect said spokes, allowing the food to pass more readily
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for simulating a gastric bypass and reducing the volume of the stomach involve placing a tubular liner along the lesser curve of the stomach cavity. Also, methods and devices for slowing gastric emptying involve placing valves within the stomach cavity near the gastro-intestinal junction and/or the pylorus. These methods and devices may prevent a patient from drinking and eating large volumes at one time and from eating slowly all day.