Ultrasonic systems and methods for locating and/or characterizing intragastric devices
First Claim
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1. An intragastric balloon configured to have a useful life in an in vivo gastric environment of at least 30 days, comprising:
- a component configured for detection by an ultrasonic detector;
a polymeric wall configured to have, under conditions of an in vivo gastric environment, a permeability to CO2 of more than 10 cc/m2/day, such that a rate and an amount of diffusion of CO2 from the in vivo gastric environment into a lumen of the intragastric balloon through the polymeric wall is controlled, at least in part, by a concentration of CO2 and a concentration of a gas selected from the group consisting of N2, SF6, C2F6, C3F8, C4F10, C4F8, C3F6, CF4, CC1F2-CF3, and mixtures thereof in an initial fill gas, wherein the concentration of CO2 in the initial fill gas is characteristic of gastric pCO2; and
a valve system configured for introducing the initial fill gas into the lumen of the intragastric balloon in the in vivo gastric environment;
wherein the component configured for detection by an ultrasonic detector comprises a first coiled conductor coupled with the intragastric balloon and a second coiled conductor separate from the intragastric balloon, and wherein the ultrasonic detector comprises a spectrum analyzer configured to measure resonant frequencies associated with the intragastric balloon.
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Abstract
Devices and methods for treating obesity are provided. More particularly, intragastric devices and methods of fabricating, deploying, inflating, locating, tracking, monitoring, deflating, and retrieving the same are provided.
147 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An intragastric balloon configured to have a useful life in an in vivo gastric environment of at least 30 days, comprising:
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a component configured for detection by an ultrasonic detector; a polymeric wall configured to have, under conditions of an in vivo gastric environment, a permeability to CO2 of more than 10 cc/m2/day, such that a rate and an amount of diffusion of CO2 from the in vivo gastric environment into a lumen of the intragastric balloon through the polymeric wall is controlled, at least in part, by a concentration of CO2 and a concentration of a gas selected from the group consisting of N2, SF6, C2F6, C3F8, C4F10, C4F8, C3F6, CF4, CC1F2-CF3, and mixtures thereof in an initial fill gas, wherein the concentration of CO2 in the initial fill gas is characteristic of gastric pCO2; and a valve system configured for introducing the initial fill gas into the lumen of the intragastric balloon in the in vivo gastric environment; wherein the component configured for detection by an ultrasonic detector comprises a first coiled conductor coupled with the intragastric balloon and a second coiled conductor separate from the intragastric balloon, and wherein the ultrasonic detector comprises a spectrum analyzer configured to measure resonant frequencies associated with the intragastric balloon. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for positioning an intragastric balloon, comprising:
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introducing into a patient, via swallowing, an intragastric balloon comprising an ultrasonic component configured for detection by an ultrasonic detector, and a polymeric wall, wherein the intragastric balloon is in a compacted, solid form; confirming, by sensing resonant frequencies associated with the intragastric balloon in a compacted, solid form, a location of the intragastric balloon, wherein the location is the patient'"'"'s stomach;
thereafterintroducing an initial fill gas into a lumen of the intragastric balloon, wherein the initial fill gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of N2, SF6, C2F6, C3F8, C4F10, C4F8, C3F6, CF4, CC1F2-CF3, and mixtures thereof; and exposing the intragastric balloon to the in vivo intragastric environment for a useful life of at least 30 days, wherein the intragastric balloon maintains a volume of 75% to 125% of its original nominal volume over the useful life; after the exposing the intragastric balloon to the in vivo intragastric environment, deflating the intragastric balloon, wherein the deflating comprises bursting the intragastric balloon by administration of an ultrasonic or acoustic pulse. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification