Intragastric Balloon Segmentation for Satiety and Reflux Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intragastric obesity treatment implants face challenges such as food and liquid backup leading to gastroesophageal reflux disease and stomach acclimation, reducing their efficacy over time, necessitating improved devices that provide varied stimulation and effective weight loss without these complications.
Innovation Solution
The development of intragastric apparatuses with inflatable balloons that occupy stomach space, stimulate satiety-inducing nerves, and slow gastric emptying through flow restrictors and valves, allowing for transoral implantation and removal, and featuring designs that prevent food obstruction and adapt to stomach movements to maintain pressure and induce satiety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single intragastric balloon is used to occupy stomach space, then weight loss is achieved, but the stomach acclimates to the device leading to reduced efficacy over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single balloon into multiple separate balloons (typically three) that are distributed throughout the stomach. This segmentation prevents the stomach from acclimating to a single fixed object, as the balloons can move independently and occupy different regions, thereby maintaining efficacy over extended periods while still achieving weight loss through space occupation.
2Reliability
If intragastric balloons are used to treat obesity, then weight loss is achieved, but food and liquid backup occurs leading to gastroesophageal reflux disease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the multiple balloons in specific regions of the stomach rather than concentrating them in one location. This local distribution strategy ensures that food and liquid can flow past the balloons without significant obstruction, reducing the risk of backup and gastroesophageal reflux while still achieving effective space occupation for weight loss.
3Adaptability or versatility
If intragastric balloons are used to occupy stomach space, then satiety is induced, but the devices provide limited varied stimulation leading to stomach acclimation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple balloons that can move independently within the stomach cavity, creating dynamic and varied stimulation patterns. Unlike a single fixed balloon, the multiple balloons shift positions and contact different areas of the stomach wall, providing diverse mechanical stimulation that prevents acclimation and maintains efficacy over time.
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 devices effectively reduce food intake, induce early feelings of satiety, and promote weight loss by occupying stomach space, stimulating nerves, and regulating fluid flow, while minimizing risks of gastroesophageal reflux and stomach adaptation, thus providing a more durable and effective obesity treatment.
Implementation Method 1
In response to peristaltic inward pressure from the stomach proximate the first inflatable balloon, a portion of the fluid moves from the first inflatable balloon through the flow restrictor into the second inflatable balloon
Data Source
AI summary
An intragastric obesity treatment implant promotes a feeling of satiety in the patient by contacting the insides of the stomach wall, reducing the space in the stomach, or otherwise reducing the amount of food consumed. One intragastric obesity treatment implant two inflatable balloons coupled via a flow restrictor through which fluid may flow in response to peristaltic motions of a patient's stomach. Additionally, one implant comprises a pumping chamber coupled to a reservoir, where the pumping chamber moves stomach fluids into the reservoir in response to peristaltic motions of the patient's stomach.