Patent ID: 7753928

Claim:
A method of deploying a space occupying device into the stomach of a patient comprising the steps of: creating an opening into the stomach of the patient; inserting a guidewire through said opening, such that a first end of said guidewire is located within the patient's stomach and a second end of said guidewire remains external to the patient; introducing a grasping tool into the patient's mouth, through the patient's throat, and esophagus and into the patient's stomach; grasping said first end of said guidewire with said grasping tool; removing the grasping tool from the patient's stomach, through the patient's esophagus and throat and out the patient's mouth, thereby locating said first end of said guidewire outside the patient's mouth; providing a space occupying device and securing said one first end of said guidewire to said space occupying device; applying a force to said second end of said guidewire thereby pulling said device into the patient's mouth, through the patient's throat and esophagus, and into the patient's stomach; inflating the space occupying device through an inflation tube passed through the patient's throat and esophagus, the inflation tube comprising a needle sized to cooperate with a reception chamber of a valve on the space occupying device; and withdrawing the inflation tube through the patient's throat and esophagus once the space occupying device is inflated.