The BBC News reports that patients suffering from morbid obesity “can be fitted with a device that fools their brain into thinking they have eaten to help them lose weight.”
Transneuronix, a company based in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey, describes its Transcend® Implantable Gastric Stimulator (IGS®), the device that induces a feeling of satiety:
The Transcend® Gastric Stimulation System is designed to provide electrical stimulation to the stomach for the treatment of obesity. The Transcend system is comprised of an implantable pulse generator, an external programmer, and a gastric stimulation lead.
The implanted pulse generator delivers electrical pulses to the stimulation lead. The lead conducts the pulses to the smooth muscle of the stomach. The external programmer can noninvasively communicate with the implanted pulse generator and allows the electrical parameters to be adjusted.
The lead is implanted in a laparoscopic procedure with 2 – 4 trocars used during the implantation: one for the camera, two for operating ports and one (optional) for liver retraction. The IGS is placed in a subcutaneous pocket in the abdomen. The regular surgery time is less than one hour.
Gastric stimulation is designed to help patients lose weight in combination with standard behavior and dietary modifications. It is normally indicated for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 40 or 35-40 with one of more comorbidities…
The programmer consists of a computer connected to a small programming wand. It is used to check and, if necessary, change electrical values of the IGS before and after implantation. Communication is accomplished noninvasively via radio frequency signals.
More at Transneuronix…