An ingestible wireless capsule for treatment of obesity

Intragastric balloon has become a popular method for treatment of obesity due to its less-invasive and non-pharmaceutical procedure. In this method, a gas (or liquid)-filled balloon is inserted into the stomach using endoscopy or surgery. The balloon stays in and partially fills the stomach for a desired period of time to induce the feeling of satiety in the patient. At the end of the treatment period, the balloon is removed from the body using endoscopy or surgery. Although proven effective in treatment of obesity, this method suffers from several drawbacks. Requiring an endoscopic procedure or surgery to insert and exert the balloon from the stomach is the most important disadvantage of this method. These procedures are usually costly and may cause the patient to feel uncomfortable. Here, we propose a non-invasive method to overcome these drawbacks. In this method, an intragastric balloon is introduced into the body using an ingestible capsule. The volume of the capsule can be adjusted wirelessly after being swallowed by the patient. Using this method, a non-invasive and patient-specific treatment is possible.