Patent ID: 8906038

Claim:
A laparoscopic method for reconfiguring tissue of a hollow organ within the body of a patient, comprising: positioning a launch tube containing a needle outside of an external surface of the hollow organ; forming a first tissue fold on the external surface of the hollow organ by advancing the launch tube to operate a jaw member, with the first tissue fold having an inner side and an outer side; extending the needle out of the launch tube and piercing through the first tissue fold with the needle by inserting the needle into the inner side of the first tissue fold, and with the needle projecting out from the outer side of the first tissue fold, with the needle containing a first anchor assembly having a first anchor connected to a second anchor by a connecting member; deploying the first anchor from the needle on the outer side of the first tissue fold by pushing the first anchor out of the needle; withdrawing the needle from the first tissue fold; forming a second tissue fold on the external surface of the hollow organ by advancing the launch tube to operate the jaw member, with the second tissue fold having an inner side and an outer side, and with the inner side of the first tissue fold facing the inner side of the second tissue fold; extending the needle out of the launch tube and piercing through the second tissue fold with the needle by inserting the needle into the inner side of the second tissue fold, and with the needle projecting out from the outer side of the second tissue fold; deploying the second anchor from the needle on the outer side of the second tissue fold by pushing the second anchor out of the needle; and moving at least one of the first anchor or second anchor along the connecting member to approximate the first and second tissue folds.