An apparatus for treating obesity comprising a volume filling device assembled from 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 patient's appetite.

Described herein are intra-oral prostheses that can help replace or augment the function of the native tongue, such as to assist with swallowing. Disclosed prostheses can provide mechanical force, based on the power of mastication, to propel a food bolus into the pharyngeal phase of swallowing. Disclosed prostheses can be used to enhance swallowing rehabilitation as a temporary aid and/or can be used to permanently replace lost tongue functionality. Also disclosed are other anatomical prostheses, such as to provide power for the articulation of dysfunctional extremities, by transforming mechanical force from another nearby functioning muscle group.

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.

Disclosed is a system for endoscopically implanting a medical implant, including an anchor, within a body cavity such as adjacent the gastroesophageal junction in a human stomach. The system includes one or more anchors positionable within one or more openings formed in tissue within the body cavity, such as cutouts formed in plicated body tissue. Tools are disclosed for positioning the anchors within the openings, and for coupling a food restrictor to the anchors.

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.

An apparatus for the treatment of acid reflux disease has an implantable movement restriction device adapted to be at least partly invaginated by a patient's stomach fundus wall. A substantial part of the outer surface of the movement restriction device is adapted to rest against the stomach wall without injuring the latter in a position between the patient's diaphragm and at least a portion of the lower part of the invaginated stomach fundus wall, such that movement of the cardiac notch of the patient's stomach towards the patient's diaphragm is restricted, to thereby prevent the cardia from sliding through the patient's diaphragm opening into the patient's thorax, so as to maintain the supporting pressure against the patient's cardia sphincter muscle exerted from the patient's abdomen. The movement restriction device has a size of at least 125 mm.sup.3 and a circumference of at least 15 mm.

An implantable apparatus for treating reflux disease in a human or animal mammal patient, the implantable apparatus being configured to be fixated to the stomach of the patient and comprising two or more implantable movement restriction device segments, wherein each implantable movement restriction device segment is provided with at least one assembly element that fits with at least one assembly element of another of said two or more implantable movement restriction device segment, so the two or more implantable movement restriction device segments by said assembly elements can be assembled into an implantable assembled movement restriction device.

An implantable medical device for treating reflux disease in a human patient, the implantable medical device comprising a movement restriction device having an outer surface including a biocompatible material. The movement restriction device is adapted to be fully invaginated by the stomach fundus wall of the patient, such that movement of the cardiac notch of the patient's stomach towards the patient's diaphragm is restricted, thereby preventing the cardia from sliding through the patient's diaphragm opening into the patient's thorax. The implantable medical device further comprises a holding device adapted to be held by a surgical instrument, wherein the holding device is at least partly placed inside the outer wall of the implantable medical device.

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 patient's appetite.

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.