Hydrogel Swelling via pH Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for inducing weight loss and treating obesity, such as hydrogels, often fail to swell adequately in the acidic pH of the stomach, leading to ineffective satiation and potential gastrointestinal issues.
Innovation Solution
Administering a water-swellable polymer in combination with pH-raising substances like buffers, H2 blockers, or antacids to enhance swelling in the stomach, allowing for sustained satiation and potential weight loss, while also considering the use of appetite suppressants and surgical interventions for obesity treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrogels are administered in the stomach, then they should provide satiation and aid weight loss, but they fail to swell adequately in the acidic pH of the stomach
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces pH-raising substances (buffers, antacids, H2 blockers) as intermediaries between the hydrogel and the acidic stomach environment. These substances modify the local pH conditions to enable proper hydrogel swelling while maintaining the natural gastric acid secretion system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pH parameter of the stomach microenvironment by administering substances that raise and maintain pH levels. This parameter modification enables the hydrogel to swell effectively without requiring changes to the hydrogel composition itself.
2Duration of action of moving object
If pH-raising substances are administered to enhance hydrogel swelling, then swelling duration is improved, but stomach pH control becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs substances that automatically buffer and maintain stomach pH without requiring active control mechanisms. The buffering agents self-regulate the pH environment, eliminating the need for complex feedback control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent administers pH-raising substances before or with the hydrogel to pre-establish the appropriate pH environment. This preliminary action ensures optimal conditions for swelling are already in place when the hydrogel arrives in the stomach.
3Productivity
If conventional weight loss drugs are used, then appetite suppression is achieved, but undesirable side effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the normally harmful acidic stomach environment into a beneficial feature by using it as a trigger mechanism. The hydrogel remains dormant in the acid and only activates (swells) when pH is raised, turning the acidic environment from a problem into a controlled activation signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses transient pH-raising substances that temporarily modify the stomach environment just long enough for the hydrogel to swell and provide satiation. These substances are short-acting and eliminated naturally, avoiding accumulation and long-term side effects.
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 approach increases the swelling duration of hydrogels in the stomach, providing effective satiation and potentially aiding in weight loss, while minimizing gastrointestinal discomfort and side effects.
Implementation Method 1
administering a water-swellable polymer in combination with pH-raising substances like buffers, H2 blockers, or antacids to enhance swelling in the stomach
Implementation Method 2
one or more substances which raise and maintain the pH of the microenvironment of the polymer and/or the stomach
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of enabling or improving the ability of a hydrogel to swell in the stomach of an animal and/or increasing the amount of time said hydrogel remains swollen in the stomach are described herein. In one embodiment, a polymer is administered in combination with one or more pH modifying agents which raise and maintain the pH of the micro environment of the polymer and/or the stomach in order inducing swelling in the polymer. The polymer can be a homopolymer, a copolymer, or a polymer blend or composite. In one embodiment, the polymer is a superabsorbent polymer (“SAP”). The polymers can also be administered with one or more active agents, such as appetite suppressants. The pH modifying agent and/or the active agent can be administered simultaneously with the polymer in the same dosage form, simultaneously with the polymer in separate dosage forms, or sequentially. The compositions are formulated for oral administration. The formulation can include drugs for delivery to the stomach, such as antibiotics, or the hydrogel can be used as a filler, for example, for obesity control. The formulation an also be used to enhance gastric retention, for example, for controlled drug delivery. Methods of delivering a drug are also described herein, along with medicaments for carrying out the methods of the present invention.