Towards a Robotic In Vitro Testing of Intragastric Balloons - Challenges and Opportunities from a Robotics Perspective

Intragastric balloons (IGBs) technology has evolved into a minimally invasive tool for the clinical management of overweight and obesity. Although recent technological advances have greatly improved the in vivo testings of IGBs, enabling a deeper understanding of their mechanisms, there is currently no standardized in vitro framework to evaluate balloon performance, safety and potential adverse events. This is the first time in vitro gastric simulator has been considered to test IGBs. In this paper, we focus on two major aspects: We introduce how these IGBs are developed, discuss the challenges of IGB testing and explore the possibility of in vitro experiments. Based on these, we discuss the potential for developing standardized engineering approaches to IGB testing and propose a testing protocol. By offering this new framework, our work aims to promote future IGB innovation and enhance the translation of including devices into clinical practice.