Gastric balloons are popular among many people working to lose a great deal of weight. They create the sensation of a full stomach, but they’re typically pretty dumb devices whose only task is to take up space. The TransPyloric Shuttle from BAROnova, a company based in San Carlos, California, resembles intragastric baloons but works quite differently to keep a person feeling satiated. It has now been approved by the FDA for sale in the United States.
The TransPyloric Shuttle, which is delivered via the esophagus, is fully assembled inside the stomach within fifteen minutes to take on a drop-like shape. Once assembled and released into the stomach, the two ends of the device straddle the pyloric sphincter, through which food exits. The natural movements of the stomach force the device to block the sphincter soon after some food passes through it. Soon after the device naturally moves away from blocking the sphincter and food can pass through again.
Because food is not allowed to exit the stomach as quickly as it likes, the stomach is kept full longer and the patient doesn’t experience as much hunger pangs. Once the TransPyloric Shuttle is ready for removal, a fifteen minute procedure is all that’s needed to pull it out of the body.
Here’s an animation that explains the placement, mechanism, and removal of the TransPyloric Shuttle:
Product page: TransPyloric Shuttle…
Via: BAROnova…