| CPC A61F 5/003 (2013.01) [A61F 5/0036 (2013.01); A61F 5/0089 (2013.01); A61M 25/10181 (2013.11); A61M 29/02 (2013.01); A61M 25/10185 (2013.11)] | 15 Claims |

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1. An intragastric balloon system, comprising:
a capsule configured to be swallowable by a patient by normal peristalsis and to degrade in a gastric environment;
a balloon compacted and contained within the capsule, the balloon including an outer surface, an inner surface, an interior cavity, a fill valve, and a release valve, wherein the fill valve and the release valve are separate valves;
a catheter configured to be coupled to the fill valve, wherein
after the patient swallows the capsule, a first portion of the catheter is configured to remain outside the patient's mouth and a second portion of the catheter is configured to remain in the patient while the catheter is coupled to the fill valve,
the catheter is further configured to deliver a saline liquid through the fill valve to the interior cavity of the balloon for inflating the balloon with the saline liquid when the balloon is in the patient's stomach, and
the catheter is further configured to be detached from the fill valve after inflating the balloon with the saline liquid;
wherein the fill valve is a self-sealing valve that is configured to self-seal after the catheter is detached from the fill valve;
wherein at least a degradable portion of the release valve is configured to degrade in an internal environment of the interior cavity of the balloon when the saline liquid is in the interior cavity of the balloon and in response to the saline liquid being in contact with the degradable portion of the release valve;
wherein when the saline liquid is in the interior cavity of the balloon, the degradable portion of the release valve is configured to be degraded by contact with the saline liquid such that the degradation process opens the release valve to allow the saline liquid to travel from the interior cavity of the balloon into the gastric environment thereby deflating the balloon; and
wherein the release valve comprises a moisture absorbing expandable portion.
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