Engineers at MIT have developed a stomach balloon that can be inflated before meals to prevent overeating and deflated when food is no longer needed.
According to Saednews' Science and Technology service, engineers at MIT have invented a stomach balloon that can be inflated prior to meals to curb overeating and deflated once the person no longer feels the need to eat.
Silicone stomach balloons, filled with air or salt and placed in the stomach, induce a feeling of fullness that can aid in weight loss. However, this effect may eventually diminish as the stomach adapts to the sensation of fullness.
To overcome this limitation, MIT engineers designed a new type of stomach balloon that can be inflated and deflated as required. In animal trials, they demonstrated that inflating the balloon before meals led to a 60% reduction in food intake.
According to the researchers, this intervention could serve as an alternative for people who do not want to undergo more invasive treatments, such as gastric bypass surgery, or for those who do not respond well to weight loss medications. Giovanni Traverso, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT and Senior Researcher on the project, stated: "The core idea is that we can have a dynamic balloon that inflates right before a meal to relieve hunger and deflates between meals."
The saline-filled stomach balloon has already been approved for use in the United States. This balloon stimulates the feeling of fullness in the stomach, and studies have shown that it is effective, although its benefits are often temporary. Traverso said: "Stomach balloons are initially effective, but weight gain eventually returns. Our argument is that if we have a system that simulates fullness in a temporary manner—just before meals—it could provide a sustainable way to lose weight."
To achieve a more lasting effect in patients, the researchers designed a device that could expand and contract as needed. They created two prototypes: one was a traditional balloon that inflates and deflates, and the other was a mechanical device with four arms that expand outward and pulls a flexible polymer shell to apply pressure on the stomach wall.
Through animal testing, the researchers found that the mechanical device could effectively expand to fill the stomach, but ultimately decided to pursue the balloon option instead. Traverso explained: "We felt the balloon probably distributes the pressure better, and if the balloon applies pressure, it might be a more reliable long-term solution."
The new MIT balloon is similar to traditional stomach balloons, but it is inserted through an incision in the abdominal wall. The balloon is connected to an external controller that attaches to the skin and has a pump that inflates and deflates the balloon as needed. Insertion of this device is similar to the method used to insert a feeding tube into the stomach of patients who are unable to eat or drink.
Traverso concluded: "For certain patients who are at risk, cannot undergo surgery, tolerate medication, or have other contraindications, there are limited options. Traditional stomach balloons are still in use, but they come with a warning that weight loss may eventually be reversed and weight gain could return. This new balloon may offer a way to overcome this fundamental limitation."
