A self-inflating capsule being developed by local researchers could one day help overweight or obese people - for whom diet and exercise have proven futile - to shed the kilos.
Measuring 3cm by 1cm, it has an outer gelatine casing that contains a deflated balloon, an inflation valve with a magnet attached, and citric acid and salt stored in separate compartments in an inner capsule. The balloon can be inflated to 120ml within three minutes and can be deflated magnetically to a size small enough to enter the small intestines and pass through the body's digestive system.
While the intragastric balloon is usually left inside the stomach for up to six months, the EndoPil would be removed within a month so that the stomach does not grow used to the balloon's presence, said Professor Lawrence Ho, 57, director of the Centre for Innovation in Healthcare at the National University Health System.
who wants to have a balloon 🎈 in their belly?