Viveve Medical (NSDQ:VIVE) announced that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office issued a patent for its stress urinary incontinence technology.

USPTO issued U.S. Patent No. 10,779,874, allowing Viveve to expand its intellectual property portfolio ahead of its U.S. pivotal Pursuit clinical trial evaluating its treatment of SUI in women, according to a news release.

Englewood, Colo.-based Viveve develops dual-energy technology that activates fibroblasts and initiates collagen formation in underlying vaginal tissue in a non-invasive, painless and comfortable procedure.

The newly patented technology, when applied in the area of the urethra and tissue surrounding the bladder neck, may strengthen and improve the function of connective tissues, improve vaginal structural integrity and reduce urethral hypermobility, which is a leading cause of SUI in women.

“We are excited about the issuance of this SUI patent, particularly as we prepare to initiate our pivotal Pursuit clinical trial in the United States,” Viveve CEO Scott Durbin said in the release. “The method patent for SUI strengthens an already robust intellectual property portfolio and expands our opportunities to develop and commercialize a new method in the treatment of SUI pending regulatory approval.

“Currently, there is an enormous unmet need in the market for a non-invasive, safe, efficacious, and durable SUI treatment. We look forward to completing our pivotal Pursuit clinical trial, which may support a new U.S. indication for the treatment of mild-moderate SUI in women.”