Patent ID: 8864784

Claim:
A compacted, swallowable, self-expanding, temporary gastric implant comprising: a. at least one expandable envelope having an interior and an exterior, the envelope configured to temporarily seal, after the implant has been swallowed by a human being, the interior of the envelope from gastric fluid in a stomach at least until an integral, gas-producing composition in fluid communication with the interior of the envelope produces a gas to expand the envelope to a selected size, the envelope configured so that the selected size of the expanded envelope contacts walls of the stomach sufficiently to produce a sensation of fullness in the stomach; and wherein the envelope is operable to maintain expansion for a selected period of time; and, b. an integral, gas-producing composition configured to produce a gas after being swallowed by the human being; wherein self-expansion of the implant is spontaneous upon contact with the gastric fluid and wherein the exterior of the envelope comprises selectively erodible pathways adapted to allow the gastric implant to retain an expanded shape in the stomach and after the selected period of time to degenerate into smaller portions according to the erodible pathways.