Patent ID: 7047980

Claim:
A method of treating a mammalian sphincter in an esophagus of a patient with an injectable liquid polymer implant, to reduce sphincter reflux, said method comprising: providing a catheter and an injector coupled to said catheter, said catheter having a tissue piercing needle distal end; introducing said catheter into said esophagus of the patient; piercing an exterior surface of said sphincter of said esophagus of the patient with said tissue piercing needle distal end on said catheter; advancing said tissue piercing needle distal end a distance in an interior of said sphincter to a tissue site; and controllably delivering said injectable polymer into said tissue site to create a controllable, solid in situ volume-constant implant in said sphincter to bond to and bulk said sphincter and thereby reduce the frequency and quantity of sphincter reflux, wherein said polymer implant comprises a compound of polyisocyanate capped polyol and free polyisocyanate.