Patent ID: 7449020

Claim:
A method for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising (i) selecting at least one liquid polymer material that, upon exposure to thermal energy, cures to a less liquid or semi-solid state, (ii) providing a source of the at least one liquid polymer material, (iii) deploying a catheter carrying on its distal end a tissue-piercing element adjacent a tissue region at or near a sphincter, (iv) coupling the catheter to the source of the at least one liquid polymer material, (v) applying through the tissue-piercing element the at least one liquid polymer material into the tissue region, (vi) delivering thermal energy to the tissue piercing device to cure the liquid polymer material and form an array of spaced-apart polymer material particles in the tissue region, (vii) measuring tension and contractile force at the sphincter after formation of the array of spaced-apart polymer material particles in the tissue region to generate feedback indicative of sphincter tightening, and (viii) repeating (v), (vi), and (vii) if the feedback does not meet prescribed criteria.