Engineers have created a new kind of gastric balloon that can be inflated and deflated as needed, offering an alternative for individuals who may not want to consider more invasive procedures like gastric bypass surgery or those who don’t respond well to weight-loss medications.
Gastric balloons are silicone devices filled with air or saline that are placed in the stomach to help control appetite by creating a feeling of fullness. However, this sensation can diminish over time as the stomach becomes accustomed to it.
To address this issue, engineers from MIT have developed a new gastric balloon capable of adjusting its size as required. In an experiment involving animals, it was observed that inflating the balloon before meals led to a 60 percent decrease in food consumption.
This innovative approach could provide a viable alternative for individuals who prefer not to undergo more invasive options, or for those who do not see improvement with weight-loss drugs, according to the researchers.
“The main idea is to have a dynamic balloon that can be inflated just before eating to curb hunger, and then deflated in between meals,” explains Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, who is also a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the primary author of the study.
Neil Zixun Jia, who completed his PhD at MIT in 2023, is the lead author of the paper published today in the journal Device.
An inflatable balloon
Currently, saline-filled gastric balloons are approved for use in the U.S. These balloons promote a sensation of fullness, and research indicates that they can be effective, but the effects are often short-lived.
“Gastric balloons show initial effectiveness, and typically are linked to weight loss. However, after some time, patients tend to regain the weight they lost,” Traverso states. “We proposed that a system mimicking fullness in a temporary manner—right before meals—might enhance weight loss.”
To extend the positive effects for patients, the team focused on creating a device that can expand or contract as needed. They developed two prototypes: one is a traditional balloon that inflates and deflates, while the other is a mechanical device with four movable arms that push against an elastic shell, pressing on the stomach’s interior.
During animal trials, the researchers determined that the mechanical-arm device could sufficiently expand to occupy the stomach, but ultimately chose to advance with the balloon concept instead.
“We believed the balloon would better distribute pressure over time, and that it would likely be a safer long-term choice,” Traverso comments.
The new gastric balloon resembles a standard gastric balloon, but it is inserted through an incision in the abdominal wall. It connects to an external controller, affixed to the skin, which includes a pump for inflating and deflating the balloon as needed. The insertion process will be similar to that of placing feeding tubes in patients unable to eat or drink.
“For example, individuals who cannot swallow receive nourishment via this type of tube. We know from experience that tubes can remain in place for years, providing us with confidence about the long-term compatibility of this system,” Traverso adds.
Reduced food intake
In animal trials, researchers observed that inflating the balloon before meals resulted in a 60 percent reduction in food intake. These tests lasted a month, but the team plans to conduct longer studies to determine if this reduction translates to actual weight loss.
“Typical deployment for traditional gastric balloons lasts six months or longer before significant weight loss can be seen. We will assess our device over a similar or longer duration to validate its effectiveness,” Jia notes.
If approved for human use, this new gastric balloon could present an alternative to existing treatments for obesity. Other obesity treatments include gastric bypass surgery, “stomach stapling” (a procedure that reduces stomach capacity), and medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide.
The gastric balloon might be a suitable option for patients who are not ideal candidates for surgery or have had poor responses to weight-loss drugs, asserts Traverso.
“For certain high-risk patients who cannot undergo surgery or cannot tolerate medication, treatment options are limited. Traditional gastric balloons are still in use but can plateau in effectiveness over time, so this might help address that inherent shortcoming,” he explains.
The study was backed by MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Karl van Tassel Career Development Professorship, the Whitaker Health Sciences Fund Fellowship, the T.S. Lin Fellowship, and the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, as well as the Boston University Yawkey Funded Internship Program.
