Apparatus and method for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease

1. A method of treating gastroesophageal reflux disease comprising the steps of:

a) forming a fold of esophageal tissue proximate to the lower esophageal sphincter and drawing the fold of esophageal tissue into a tissue receiving cavity formed in an apparatus;

b) actuating a mechanism to make contact with and extend a plurality of needles from the apparatus through the fold of esophageal tissue such that the needles travel through the tissue receiving cavity of the apparatus, the plurality of needles having an interior lumen containing a tissue fastener;

c) ejecting a distal portion of the tissue fasteners from the interior lumen of the needle such that the distal portion of the tissue fasteners are disposed against a distal surface of the fold of esophageal tissue and the distal portion moves to a curved configuration; and

d) retracting the needles from the fold of esophageal tissue such that a proximal portion of the tissue fasteners deployed from the respective interior lumen of the needles and are disposed against a proximal surface of the fold of esophageal tissue to thereby fasten the tissue to leave the fold therein to reduce the diameter of a patient's esophagus proximate the lower esophageal sphincter by the presence of the fold;

wherein the plurality of needles are axially spaced within the apparatus and a distal tip of the needles is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, and the step of actuating a mechanism to extend the plurality of needles comprises extending the needles in a rotational movement.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing an endoscopic device, the endoscopic device having the tissue reception cavity formed in a distal end portion.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of drawing esophageal tissue into the tissue reception cavity of the endoscopic device is performed under suction.

4. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of drawing esophageal tissue into the tissue reception cavity of the endoscopic device is performed with a tissue grasping device.

5. A method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of guiding the endoscopic device through the esophagus to a location wherein the tissue reception cavity is disposed proximate to the lower esophageal sphincter.

6. A method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of providing the needles within an interior lumen of the endoscopic device.

7. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of providing the tissue fasteners within the interior lumen of the needles in an initial condition wherein the fasteners are in a generally elongate orientation and wherein the step of ejecting the fasteners from the interior lumen of the needles includes permitting the distal portion of the tissue fasteners to move to a normal condition wherein the distal portion of the tissue fasteners are in the curved orientation.

8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of retracting the needles from the fold of esophageal tissue includes permitting the proximal portion of the tissue fasteners to move to a normal condition wherein the proximal portion of the tissue fasteners are in a curved orientation.

9. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing an endoscope for performing the steps of the method under vision.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the endoscope is provided as an integral part of the endoscopic device.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the needles are extended through the fold of esophageal tissue simultaneously and the tissue fasteners are ejected from the needles simultaneously.

12. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the needles are extended through the fold of esophageal tissue in seriatim and the tissue fasteners are ejected from the needles in seriatim.