A wearable apparatus for the treatment or prevention of osteopenia or osteoporosis, stimulating bone growth, preserving or improving bone mineral density, and inhibiting adipogenesis is disclosed where the apparatus may generally comprise one or more vibrating elements configured for imparting repeated mechanical loads to the hip, femur, and/or spine of an individual at a frequency and acceleration sufficient for therapeutic effect. These vibrating elements may be secured to the upper body of an individual via one or more respective securing mechanisms, where the securing mechanisms are configured to position the one or more vibrating elements in a direction lateral to the individual, and the position, tension, and efficacy of these vibrating elements may be monitored and/or regulated by one or more accelerometers.

The present invention relates to a reflux disease treatment apparatus comprising an implantable movement restriction device that maintains cardia in the correct position and an implantable stimulation device adapted to engage with the cardia sphincter of a patient. The invention further comprises a control device for controlling the stimulation device to stimulate the cardia sphincter. The invention can be combined with various methods for treating obesity, in particular methods that creates satiety by stretching the wall of the stomach or fills out a volume of the stomach.

An apparatus for treating obesity comprises a volume filling device formed by at least two segments and is provided and following implantation, the device is placed resting against the stomach wall of the patient to reduce the inner volume of the stomach, thereby affecting the patients appetite.

An apparatus for treating obesity in a human or animal mammal patient. The apparatus comprising a first volume filling device segment and a second volume filling device segment. The first and second volume filling device segments are adapted to be assembled into an implantable volume filling device of a controlled size. Each one of the first and second volume filling device segment comprises at least one interconnecting structure. The interconnecting structure of the second volume filling device segment is adapted to be formed fitted, such that the first and second volume filling device segment can be assembled into the volume filling device. The assembled volume filling device is adapted to be at least substantially invaginated by a stomach wall portion of a patient, with the outer surface of the device resting against the stomach wall, such that the volume of the food cavity is reduced in size.

A variety of passive intragastric implant devices for obesity treatment are disclosed. Such passive implants do not autonomously change shape, but instead react within the stomach to induce satiety. The implants may take up volume within the stomach, thus reducing the digestive capacity. Additionally, the implants may contact areas within the stomach, such as the cardia surrounding the esophageal sphincter, to stimulate satiety-inducing nerves. Also, a number of implants slow gastric emptying by blocking or otherwise impeding flow through the pyloric sphincter. Other implants delay digestion by providing a duodenal sleeve. A number of implants combine two or more of these satiety-inducing features. Methods of implant are disclosed including compressing the implants within a delivery tube and transorally advancing the implants through the esophagus to be deployed within the stomach. Removal of the implants occurs in the reverse.

A method and system is provided for increasing brown adipose tissue deposits and activity by breathing air from a CPAP machine having a chiller which cools the air to less than 55 F. before discharge from the CPAP mask to the person's lungs while sleeping. The cool air increases brown adipose tissue development and activity, thereby increasing caloric expenditures, so as to lead to weight loss and other health benefits.

The invention relates to an intraluminar method of treating a reflux disease in a patient by implanting a device comprising an movement restriction device that, when implanted in a patient, fills a volume in the patient's abdomen that is close to and at least partially above the patient's cardia when the patient is in a standing position. The invention further relates to a method of restoring the location of the cardia in a patient suffering from a reflux disease and to an instrument suitable to use with intraluminar method and/or restoration method. Also disclosed are instruments treating a patient suffering hiatal hernia and providing a movement restriction device to be invaginated in the stomach fundus wall.

The invention relates to a medical apparatus including a device used in the treatment of weight loss, obesity and potentially other associated health problems, e.g., type II diabetes. The device is used to impede absorption of nutrients within the gastrointestinal tract, i.e., bypassing a portion of the gastrointestinal tract. The medical apparatus enables implantation of the device using minimally invasive techniques, such a transesophageal approach under visualization. The device may be implanted via a working channel of a medical scope, e.g., an endoscope or in combination with a medical scope.

A bariatric device for use in inducing weight loss, comprising a cardiac element, a pyloric element, and a connecting element between the two other elements, wherein the connecting element provides structure between the cardiac and pyloric elements, keeping them largely in place and at least intermittently touching and applying pressure to the stomach's cardiac, adjacent fundic and pyloric regions, respectively, which produces a satiety signal to the user, giving the recipient a feeling of fullness and reducing his or her hunger feelings. In an alternative embodiment, the pyloric and connecting elements may be replaced with a positioning element, which keeps the cardiac element in its relative position by pushing against various structures in the stomach. In any of the embodiments, the bariatric device may be made from multiple sizes or adjustable, either manually, automatically or remotely, to optimally size and/or position the device to produce the desired satiety signals and weight loss.

A system and method for reducing the likelihood of GERD includes the modification of an individual's gut microbes in a manner that reduces, if not eliminates, the symptoms of GERD. Certain embodiments employ Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR-associated system (CRISPR-Cas) or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats from Prevotella and Francisella 1 (CRISPR/Cpf1) system to render H. Pylori more susceptible to certain drugs, including antibiotics, thus addressing the antibiotic resistance otherwise experienced by treating H. Pylori with antibiotics.