METHOD FOR FORMING A BIOLOGICAL STENT

摘要

The invention is a method for creating a "biological stent" in a tubular structure (e.g., the urethra). The biological stent is created by situating a microwave balloon device (100) in the urethra of the patient in proximity to the prostate gland, inflating the balloon (112) to apply sufficient squeezin g pressure on urethral tissue to effect a certain amount of temporary widening of the urethra, and heating the narrowed bore of the urethra (preferably by employing a microwave generator having a transmitter (110) located in the balloon) to make permanent the widening of the urethra due to the formation of a biological stent. The heating, and elasticity of urethral tissue may be monitored to determine when sufficient energy has been delivered to the urethral tissue.