Patent ID: 8287562

Claim:
A swallowable self-expanding gastric space occupying device comprising: a membrane through which gastric fluid can pass, wherein said membrane provides an enclosure volume separated from the gastric environment by said membrane, and said membrane is a multilayer structure comprising a sheet of first material that is partly covered with a second material, wherein said second material has a degradation rate in the gastric environment that is lower than the degradation rate of said first material in the gastric environment; a plurality of holes through said membrane for gastric fluid flow from the gastric environment to said enclosure volume, wherein said holes have a perimeter surface region comprising said first material having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein said inner surface and said outer surface are not covered by said second material; and a plurality of self-expanding components, wherein said components are contained in said enclosure volume; wherein said components expand in volume upon contact with said gastric fluid, thereby expanding said device from an unexpanded volume to an expanded volume.