Gastric Restraining Device with RF Ablation for Volume Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating obesity, such as biliopancreatic diversion, gastric bypass, and vertical-banded gastroplasty, are invasive, fraught with complications, and do not effectively reduce stomach volume or address long-term health consequences associated with obesity.
Innovation Solution
A gastric restraining device comprising a flexible skirt with fillable chambers and an ablation mechanism that can be placed around the stomach using minimally invasive techniques, allowing for adjustable constriction and reduction of stomach volume to control food intake and absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional bariatric surgery procedures (biliopancreatic diversion, gastric bypass, vertical-banded gastroplasty) are performed to treat obesity, then weight loss is achieved, but surgical complications and hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical surgical interventions (staples, bands, incisions) with a minimally invasive endoscopic system that uses thermal energy (RF ablation) and mechanical tucking through natural body orifices. The gastric skirt device is inserted endoscopically without external incisions, and the ablation mechanism uses electromagnetic energy to create restrictive bands of scar tissue rather than mechanical staples or sutures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gastric skirt device as an intermediary component that can be positioned around the stomach internally. This device serves as a mediator between the treatment goal (stomach restriction) and the patient's anatomy, allowing adjustment and positioning without permanent external attachments or invasive surgery. The inflatable or fillable chambers act as intermediaries to create the restrictive effect.
2Ease of operation
If stomach volume is reduced through surgical procedures to control food intake, then early satiety is promoted, but the procedures are invasive and difficult to reverse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic, adjustable gastric restriction system where the degree of stomach volume reduction can be modified after implantation. The gastric skirt includes inflatable chambers or fillable elements that can be adjusted endoscopically to change the restriction level. This allows the system to adapt to patient needs and healing progress, providing reversibility and flexibility that permanent surgical alterations cannot offer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the gastric restriction function into separable components: the gastric skirt structure, the fillable/inflatable chambers, and the ablation mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and enables modular adjustment or removal of specific elements if needed, reducing overall system complexity and invasiveness compared to monolithic surgical procedures.
3Ease of operation
If existing gastric restriction devices (LAP-BAND) are used to encircle the stomach, then some restriction is achieved, but the devices do not sufficiently reduce stomach volume and require multiple adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary ablation of the stomach wall before or during gastric skirt placement to pre-create restrictive bands of scar tissue. This preliminary action reduces the need for multiple subsequent adjustments because the ablation-induced fibrosis provides a stable, permanent structural change that works in conjunction with the gastric skirt, reducing the number of iterative adjustments needed compared to devices that rely solely on mechanical tightening.
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 device provides a safer, minimally invasive solution for weight management by reducing stomach volume, promoting early satiety, and minimizing postoperative complications while allowing for adjustable constriction to accommodate varying stomach sizes and shapes.
Implementation Method 1
an ablation device attached to the elastomeric sheet, the ablation device configured to emit energy toward an outer surface of the stomach when the elastomeric sheet is placed around the stomach
Implementation Method 2
a tube connected to the chamber for delivering the fluid into and out of the chamber to cause the chamber to expand and contract
Data Source
AI summary
A gastric restraining device for treating excessive weight or obesity in mammals. The gastric restraining device includes an elastomeric sheet configured to be placed around a stomach of a mammal, an ablation device attached to the elastomeric sheet, the ablation device configured to emit energy toward an outer surface of the stomach when the elastomeric sheet is placed around the stomach, and an energy device coupled to the ablation device to generate the energy and to transfer the energy to the ablation device.