Patent ID: 7056305

Claim:
An intragastric balloon assembly for reducing the food intake of a person suffering from obesity, the intragastric balloon assembly comprising: a balloon made of an acid resistant distensible material; an inflating catheter joined at one end to the balloon and configured to inflate the balloon; a rigid support including an elongated element formed unitarily with the balloon and having a diameter that is larger at an end joined to the balloon and becomes smaller towards an opposing end, said rigid support being configured for use as a guideline and tractor to introduce the balloon into a stomach through a mouth and as a support to maintain the balloon in a substantially fixed position, said rigid support having a groove along a length of the rigid support from the end joined to the balloon and extending up to approximately 15 cm from the end joined to the balloon; a handle disposed at the opposing end of the rigid support and formed unitarily with the rigid support to permit said rigid support to be held during surgery; said inflating catheter being fixedly joined at one end to the balloon proximate the rigid support and housed along at least a portion of the length of the inflating catheter within the groove of the rigid support, and configured to be carried along with the rigid support when the assembly is introduced into the stomach and to be detachable from the rigid support for fixation; an inflating valve configured to at least one of inflate and deflate the balloon that is joined to the inflating catheter and that has at least two flanges for fixation; and a fixing plate having a first hole with a circular flange formed therein which is configured to adjust and fix the rigid support, a second hole that receives the inflating catheter, and a plurality of fixation holes configured to join the plate by at least one of suture stitches and staples to abdominal tissue.