Patent ID: 7887552

Claim:
An apparatus for fastening tissue within the body of a patient, comprising: an elongated body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion comprises a distal portion main body and an extendable engagement tip, wherein the distal portion main body has a width, wherein the extendable engagement tip is telescopically connected to the distal portion main body by a sliding connecting rod, wherein the sliding connecting rod is connected to the distal portion main body at a first side of the main body distal portion and wherein the sliding connecting rod is radially displaced away from a central longitudinal axis of the elongated body, wherein the extendable tip is configured to be telescopically and distally extended away from and retracted back towards the distal portion main body; wherein the elongate body distal portion has an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein in the closed configuration the extendable tip is positioned against the distal portion main body, and in the open configuration the extendable tip is telescopically extended distally away from the distal portion main body to create a tissue-receiving opening bordered by the extendable tip, connecting rod, and distal portion main body, wherein the tissue-receiving opening is open on a second side of the elongate body distal portion and closed on the first side of the elongate distal body portion, wherein the second side of the elongate body distal portion is generally opposite to the first side of the elongate body distal portion, and the tissue-receiving opening extends across most of the width of the elongate body distal portion, across the central longitudinal axis of the elongated body, and from the second side of the main body distal portion to the connecting rod; a first needle; and a first suture line.