Intragastric device

1. An intragastric volume-occupying device system, comprising:

an outer container configured to be swallowable and deliverable to a patient's stomach via normal peristalsis movement and to degrade in an in vivo gastric environment, wherein the outer container is of a size less than an average normal esophagus diameter;

a balloon having a polymeric wall, a lumen, a port, and a self-sealable valve or septum, wherein the balloon is provided in a folded and compacted state and contained within the outer container, wherein the balloon is formed by joining two balloon halves together using heat or an adhesive, wherein one of the two balloon halves encompasses an opening configured for the balloon to be pulled through itself after adherence of the two balloon halves, wherein a patch of material is adhered to the polymeric wall to cover the opening, wherein the balloon is in an inverted configuration and has a smooth external surface with seams inside the balloon, wherein the patch comprises a structure configured to erode or degrade so as to cause rapid deflation of the balloon in vivo after a pre-determined useful life is completed and to prevent reinflation by seepage of stomach fluid into the balloon, wherein erosion or degradation is controlled by conditions within the lumen of the balloon by conditions of humidity and/or derived pH;

tubing attached to the port of the balloon and configured to fill the lumen of the balloon with a liquid inflation fluid in vivo, wherein the tubing is further configured to be detached from the port by applying a gentle force or tug on the tubing and to be pulled away from the balloon and out from inside a patient, and wherein the self-sealable valve or septum is configured to seal when the tubing is pulled away from the balloon;

a predetermined volume of a liquid inflation fluid; and

a delivery tool comprising an inflation fluid source container containing the liquid inflation fluid and configured to deliver the liquid inflation fluid into the lumen of the balloon via the tubing and the self-sealable valve or septum, wherein the delivery tool is configured such that a pressure in the balloon can be determined, whereby it can be determined from the pressure whether the balloon is in an esophagus of the patient or the patient's stomach, and whether a preselected ending pressure in the inflated balloon has been obtained indicating completion of inflation.

2. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the outer container is a capsule comprising a material selected from the group consisting of gelatin, cellulose, and collagen.

3. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 2 , wherein the capsule is a push-fit capsule configured to separate in vivo.

4. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 2 , wherein the capsule is configured to degrade within 5 minutes or less in an in vivo environment.

5. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing is of a sufficient length that when unwound can span an entire length of the patient's esophagus, from a mouth of the patient to the patient's stomach, and further comprises measurement ticks configured to aid in identifying where an end of the tubing is located.

6. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid inflation fluid is a saline solution or pure water.

7. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric wall is a polyurethane wall.

8. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , further comprising a moisture absorbing expansion material.

9. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 8 , wherein the moisture absorbing expansion material is sheathed in water blocking materials or slowly water degrading materials.

10. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 8 , wherein moisture contact by the moisture absorbing expansion material is controlled by inlet ports configured to control moisture contact, wherein the inlet ports are small holes or a wick material configured to draw moisture in a controlled manner.

11. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , further comprising a radioopacity ring.

12. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the opening created is circular, wherein a diameter of the opening does not exceed 3.8 cm, and wherein the patch of material is adhered to the polymeric wall adhesively or by heat welding.

13. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the balloon is configured such that in an inflated form the balloon is ellipsoid, spheroid, or oblate spheroid, with nominal radii of from 2.5 cm to 7.6 cm, a nominal height of from 0.6 cm to 7.6 cm, a volume of from 90 cm 3 to 350 cm 3 at 37° C. and at internal nominal pressure and/or full inflation, an internal nominal pressure at 37° C. of 0 Pa to 103421 Pa.

14. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined useful life is from 25 to 90 days in vivo.

15. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the structure configured to erode or degrade comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG), polyglycolic acid (PGA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyesteramide (PEA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHBV), polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), aromatic copolyesters (PBAT), poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), poly-L-lactic acid PLAA, pullulan, polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyanhydrides, polyorthoesters, polyaryletherketones (PEEK), multi-block polyetheresters, poliglecaprone, polydioxanone, and polytrimethylene carbonate.

16. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the tubing is attached to the balloon and wherein a proximal end of the tubing is connected to an inflation valve configured to provide fluid communication with the inflation fluid source container.

17. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , further comprising a threadlike wire inside the tubing.

18. The intragastric volume-occupying device system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing is an over-the-wire catheter configured to allow the balloon to be pushed down the esophagus.