INTRAGASTRIC BALLOON DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE REPEATEDLY VARIED IN VOLUME WITHOUT EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE

Title:

INTRAGASTRIC BALLOON DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE REPEATEDLY VARIED IN VOLUME WITHOUT EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO2002040081

Kind Code:

A3

Abstract:

An intragastic balloon device (10) includes a flexible bladder (12), a relatively rigid reservoir (14) coupled to the bladder and adapted to hold a bladder inflation fluid, and an inflation/deflation system (18) is adapted to move or permit movement of the fluid from the reservoir and into the bladder. The intragastric balloon device (10) is sized such that it may be positioned, in its entirety, into the stomach cavity. Various systems may be used to move or permit movement of the fluid. In several embodiments, the system (18) is a pump (20) which moves the fluid between the reservoir and the bladder. In other embodiments, the system includes a mechanism for heating a fluid to cause the heated fluid to expand the bladder. In yet another embodiment, no reservoir is employed and a pump pumps stomach fluid into the bladder to inflate the bladder. A control mechanism (22) is provided to automatically activate the inflation/deflation system. The automatic activation may be actuivated by a combination of one or more of a timer, the temperature of the stomach, the pressure in the stomach, the mechanical stress in the stomach, or another sensed condition, at which the control system is programmed or otherwise configured to activate. The control system (22) is preferably reprogammable via an external transmitter. In addition, the control system (22) and the pump (20), where utilized, are preferably battery-powered (24) such that the intragastric balloon device is self-contained.

Inventors:

BALES THOMAS O (US)
SMITH KEVIN W (US)

Application Number:

PCT/US2001/051202

Publication Date:

April 03, 2003

Filing Date:

November 13, 2001

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

SYNTHEON LLC (US)
BALES THOMAS O (US)
SMITH KEVIN W (US)

International Classes:

A61F5/00; (IPC1-7): A61M29/00

Foreign References:

US5129915A	1992-07-14
US4925446A	1990-05-15

Other References: