INTRAGASTRIC BALLOON WITH IMPROVED FORMING MEANS AND INCREASED MECHANICAL STRENGTH

摘要

The invention relates to an expandable intragastric balloon which is intended to be implanted in the stomach of a patient for the treatment of obesity. The inventive balloon comprises an outer casing (2) which is sufficiently flexible in order to change from a reduced volume configuration to an expanded configuration, thereby imparting the balloon (1) with its functional shape. The balloon is characterised in that it comprises means (3) for forming the outer casing (2), which are structurally integrated into the balloon (1), but which, for the most part, are separate from the outer casing (2). According to the invention, once the balloon (1) has been implanted, the aforementioned forming means (3) can be actuated in order to: (i) exert a sufficient driving pressure on the outer casing (2) such as to force the deployment thereof, and (ii) occupy a sufficient volume inside the outer casing (2) in order to produce the deployment of the outer casing (2) from the reduced volume configuration to the expanded configuration thereof. The invention is suitable for intragastric balloons.