USPTO issues patent to EndoSphere's noninvasive device for treatment of obesity

EndoSphere Inc., a medical technology company that holds 23 U.S. and international issued and pending patents, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the company a patent covering the use of its endoscopically implantable devices for the treatment of metabolic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

U.S. Patent number 7,931,693 titled "Method and Apparatus for Reducing Obesity" describes a noninvasive device that uses the body's natural physiology to regulate appetite and satiety among other potential uses.

"This strong initial patent position, in combination with significant clinical interest, makes EndoSphere an attractive partner in the rapidly growing fields of interventional gastroenterology and obesity treatments," commented James McKinley, EndoSphere CEO.  

Kenneth Binmoeller, M.D., EndoSphere's co-founder and the technology's inventor, commented, "EndoSphere's inventions respond to the urgent need for a less invasive, safer and more physiologic treatment for the growing problem of obesity worldwide."

"Treating obesity is the first target for our technology, the first of several major medical applications for which we plan to develop and commercialize products," added McKinley.