Patent ID: 7702394

Claim:
A method for treating a subject having a stomach with a stomach wall surrounding a cavity of the stomach, the method comprising: implanting electronic circuitry within the subject; supporting a temperature sensor within the cavity of the stomach so as to measure a temperature within the cavity; electrically coupling a stimulating electrode to the wall of stomach; operatively coupling the circuitry to the temperature sensor; operatively coupling the circuitry to the stimulating electrode; sensing the temperature within the cavity of the stomach with the temperature sensor; determining, using the circuitry and in response to the sensed temperature, a rate of change of the temperature within the cavity of the stomach; identifying, using the circuitry and in response to the rate of change of the temperature within the cavity of the stomach, an ingestion of material by the subject; and stimulating the stomach by energizing the electrode using the circuitry in response to the identified ingestion of material by the subject.