Hongliang REN, PhD | The Chinese University of Hong Kong;
Competition Sponsor: Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
Awardee year: 2022
Global obesity has increased at an alarming rate and has become an increasingly serious threat to public health and longevity, as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity, as an emerging medical condition, is caused by fat accumulations to the extent that it may negatively affect health. To treat obesity, medications and surgeries can reduce appetite (or decrease fat absorption) and reduce stomach volume leading to feeling full earlier. Placing the intragastric balloon (IGB) into the stomach is an alternative treatment approach when surgery and medication are unsuitable or recommended. This proposal hypothesizes that remotely controllable and Swallowable Encapsuled Multi-Stable Intragastric Balloons for Obesity Treatment (SEMIBOT) in a tether-less manner can address this gap.