Segmented Intragastric Device for Obesity Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intragastric balloons for obesity treatment are associated with complications such as gastric ulcers, small bowel obstructions, and limited long-term effectiveness, and there is a need for a method that provides sustained weight loss without these issues.
Innovation Solution
An intragastric device comprising a tubular sheet of material partitioned into bundles by retaining members and secured with suture ties, which is delivered and deployed into the gastric lumen to occupy volume and reduce food intake, using a mesh material that is compliant and flowable to facilitate controlled deployment and secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional intragastric balloons are used to occupy volume in the gastric lumen, then weight loss is achieved, but complications such as gastric ulcers, small bowel obstructions, and limited long-term effectiveness occur
Solution Approach 1:
The intragastric device is divided into multiple collapsible segments or bundles that can be compressed for delivery and then expand in the gastric lumen. This segmentation allows the device to achieve the required volume for weight loss while avoiding the complications of traditional balloons through controlled expansion and the ability to be retrieved by collapsing the segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates collapsible and expandable elements that can dynamically change their configuration. The device can be collapsed for easy delivery through the esophagus and stomach, then expanded to occupy volume in the gastric lumen. This dynamic capability allows the device to adapt to different states (delivery vs. functional) and facilitates both placement and retrieval operations.
2Productivity
If a large volume intragastric device is deployed to maximize weight loss effect, then food intake is significantly reduced, but the device becomes difficult to deliver and position
Solution Approach 1:
The device is constructed from multiple collapsible segments that can be compressed into a compact configuration for delivery. Each segment can be independently collapsed and then expanded in the gastric lumen, allowing the device to achieve large volume (for maximum weight loss effect) while maintaining ease of delivery through the esophagus and stomach.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible segments are nested within each other or within a delivery catheter during the delivery process. This nesting allows the device to be compacted to a small profile for easy delivery, then sequentially expanded to achieve the required large volume in the gastric lumen, thus resolving the contradiction between device size and deliverability.
3Reliability
If traditional balloons are used to reduce stomach capacity, then weight loss is achieved, but the balloons require complex inflation mechanisms and nasal passages
Solution Approach 1:
The device eliminates the need for nasal passages and complex inflation mechanisms by using a self-contained collapsible structure that can be delivered through a simple catheter. The device is collapsed for delivery and then expanded within the gastric lumen without requiring external inflation tubes, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining weight loss effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates self-expanding mechanisms that allow it to achieve its functional volume automatically upon deployment in the gastric lumen, without requiring complex external inflation systems. The collapsible segments can be expanded through their own structural design, eliminating the need for nasal passage inflation tubes and reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An intragastric member and method of delivery thereof are described. Delivery of the intragastric member is enabled by partitioning the intragastric member into discrete bundles with retaining members that are circumferentially disposed along the longitudinal length of the intragastric member. Formation of the intragastric member into bundles facilitates controlled delivery into the gastric lumen. The use of suture ties enables deployment of the intragastric member into the gastric lumen. The distal ends of the suture ties are affixed to the bundles. Pulling on the proximal free end of each of the suture ties enables the corresponding bundles to be advanced distally along a delivery tube. The suture ties are pulled until each of the bundles slide off from the delivery tube and enter into the gastric lumen.