A medical device (640, 740, 840, 940a, 940b) for engaging tissue, the medical device (640, 740, 840, 940a, 940b) comprising: a housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b) defining an internal passageway and a longitudinal axis extending between proximal and distal ends of the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b); a first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) rotatable relative to the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b), the first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) having proximal and distal ends; a second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) rotatable relative to the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b), the second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) having proximal and distal ends; a driver (648, 766, 848, 948a, 948b) engaged with the proximal ends of the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), longitudinal movement of the driver (648, 766, 848, 948a, 948b) rotating the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) relative to the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b), the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) defining a gripping space therebetween; and a gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) having a distal portion and a proximal portion and positioned between the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), a distal end of the distal portion of the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) being fixedly attached to a distal portion of the first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) positioned to engage tissue, which is positioned within the gripping space, between the second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) and the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) when the medical device (640, 740, 840, 940a, 940b) is in a closed configuration characterized in that a proximal end of the proximal portion of the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) is free floating; and the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) is bent in a concave shape such that the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) projects through the gripping space between the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), towards the second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) and back towards the first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b). a housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b) defining an internal passageway and a longitudinal axis extending between proximal and distal ends of the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b); a first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) rotatable relative to the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b), the first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) having proximal and distal ends; a second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) rotatable relative to the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b), the second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) having proximal and distal ends; a driver (648, 766, 848, 948a, 948b) engaged with the proximal ends of the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), longitudinal movement of the driver (648, 766, 848, 948a, 948b) rotating the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) relative to the housing (642, 742, 842, 942a, 942b), the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) defining a gripping space therebetween; and a gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) having a distal portion and a proximal portion and positioned between the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), a distal end of the distal portion of the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) being fixedly attached to a distal portion of the first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) positioned to engage tissue, which is positioned within the gripping space, between the second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) and the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) when the medical device (640, 740, 840, 940a, 940b) is in a closed configuration characterized in that a proximal end of the proximal portion of the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) is free floating; and the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) is bent in a concave shape such that the gripping strip (695, 795, 895, 995a, 995b) projects through the gripping space between the first and second jaws (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b), towards the second jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b) and back towards the first jaw (644, 744, 844, 944a, 944b).