Patent attributes
An implantable inflatable gastric balloon device and system comprising a combination flow regulator and timing regulator, useful for inducing satiety and managing obesity. The balloon is administered into the patient's stomach in a deflated state, and then inflated by gas or liquid. The flow portion of the regulator usually acts as a one-way valve allowing gas or liquid to enter but not exit the balloon. The timing portion of the regulator has a degradable plug that gradually degrades over time, eventually allowing this gas or fluid to escape, thus allowing the balloon to escape. The dimensions of the device are configured so that in a deflated state, the balloon can pass by natural physiological processes through the pyloric sphincter and out of the patient through the intestines. Diagnostic methods, and methods for administering and managing the device, are also taught.
