Special weight loss device helps prevent appetite

Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA) have invented a special weight-loss support device that sends signals to the brain to prevent overeating.

It is known that it is a small device without batteries. This may be the solution for people who are struggling to change their eating habits.

The device has a width of less than 1 cm and can be painlessly inserted into the body.

Professor Xudong Wang and his students are studying to develop special weight loss support devices.

The device was invented by Professor Xudong Wang of UW-Madison and his student, Guang Yao.

After implantation, the device will generate slight electrical impulses from the natural movement of the stomach and then transfer the signal back to the vagus nerve.

This nerve is very important in controlling the heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. Basically, this device will make the brain think that the abdomen is full after a few 'bites'.

Engineers tested the device on mice and discovered that it was surprising that rodents had reduced their physical weight by 40% after being introduced.

"The pulses correlate with stomach movement, enhance natural response to help control food intake," said UW-Madison's science and engineering professor, Xudong Wang.

The effects of the device can also be reversed when it is taken out of the body. Wang and his assistant found that the mice returned to their normal diet when the device was removed after 12 weeks.

Wang added that his device is less bulky and does not require charging. The power of the device is to create ripples from the stomach wall.

Currently this invention is being tested in larger animals before being tested on humans.

"Our expectation is that the device will be more efficient and convenient to use compared to other technologies," Wang said.