SLIM: Smart hydrogeL Incorporated in gastric Medical device
Combining smart biomaterials and innovative 3D-manufacturing in a natural medical device for people with obesity
Obesity, a major public health challenge, is expected to affect 2 billion people by 2035. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual global cost of obesity amounts to $990 billion. The use of medication for weight loss has surged in recent years. Unfortunately, this treatment must be continued for life, making it expensive for society and not entirely free of side effects. Additionally, 20% of people prefer not to use medication due to uncertain long-term effects and the complex mechanisms and interactions of drugs.
In Project SLIM, new ingredients will be tested by Revividal and TU/e. 3D printing will be used to manufacture the gastric balloon in one step, instead of assembling it. The balloon will be tested in a simulated environment that mimics the physiological conditions of the stomach and intestines. After the project, clinical trials will be initiated to test the medical device for a selected population, with the goal to bring an effective treatment to the market for people with overweight or obesity who prefer natural products. Gastric balloons will support the appetite reduction of users, reduce the frequency of oral administration, provide an alternative made from biomaterials, mitigate user concerns about their treatment, and allow people with risk of obesity to maintain healthier lifestyles.
Project SLIM aims to deliver a new formulation, manufacturing method and related prolonged gastric residence time of the medical device, resulting from a public-private collaboration between a university, an SME and HI-NL in the field of medical technology and 3D printing.
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