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.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process for homogenizing burn-out characteristics and for reducing thermal NOx emissions from a non-recovery or heat-recovery coking plant having a multiplicity of coking furnaces, each coking furnace comprising a coking chamber delimited by oven doors, lateral walls, and an oven top, for a bed of coal or a compacted coal cake, and a lower furnace having a sole channel system of sole channels at least partially integrated below the coking chamber, comprising:
supplying primary combustion air into the coking chamber, transporting partially combusted coking gas from the coking chamber by means of downcomers to sole channel heating flues; supplying secondary air to the sole channel heating flues, further combusting the partially combusted coking gas with secondary air, forming a waste gas stream exiting the coking furnace into an external channel system; and recirculating the waste gas by means of a blower from the external channel system to at least one of the coking chamber, the downcomers, or the sole channel system.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein waste gas is recirculated into the sole channel system.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein waste gas is recirculated into downcomers.
4. The process of claim 1, wherein waste gas is recirculated into primary air apertures in an oven door.
5. The process of claim 1, wherein waste gas is recirculated into primary air apertures in the oven top.
6. A non-recovery or heat-recovery coking plant, comprising a multiplicity of coking furnaces, each coking furnace comprising a coking chamber delimited by oven doors, lateral walls, and an oventop for a bed of coal or compacted coal cake, a lower furnace having a sole channel system of sole channels at least partially integrated below the coking chamber, a plurality of downcomers to transport partially combusted coking gas from the coking chamber to the sole channel system, wherein a plurality of apertures are provided in sole channel partition walls between sole channels such that waste gas produced by further combusting partially combusted coking gas with secondary air is recirculated within the sole channel system, the apertures being closeable or adjustable, and further comprising a blower which recirculates waste gas from the coking plant into one or more of the coking chamber, the downcomers, or the sole channel system.