Patent ID: 7559939

Claim:
An instrument for use in effecting anastomosis of a bladder and a urethra of a patient, the patient having a bladder wall and a pelvic floor, the instrument comprising: a tube assembly comprising first and second longitudinal members, wherein said longitudinal members are longitudinally coupled, wherein said longitudinal members are movable with respect to each other; and an end effector assembly operably supported by said tube assembly, wherein the end effector defines a longitudinal axis, said end effector assembly further comprising: a positioner comprising a positioner member, wherein the positioner member has an attached end operably connected to said first longitudinal member, wherein the positioner member further has a movable end, wherein said movable end is movable about said attached end, and away from or toward said longitudinal axis, wherein the attached end of the positioner member is distal to the movable end of the positioner member, wherein said positioner and said positioner member are operable to selectively assume a first configuration and a second configuration, said first configuration having a first transverse cross section with a first greatest width in a plane substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and said second configuration having a second transverse cross section with a second greatest width in a plane substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, wherein said second greatest width is larger than said first greatest width, wherein the positioner member is configured to engage the bladder wall of the patient, wherein the positioner member is operable to urge the bladder wall toward the pelvic floor, a retaining member operably attached to said second longitudinal member and operably engaged with said positioner member, wherein said positioner member is configured to move in two dimensions relative to said retaining member, with said movable end moving, alternately, toward or away from said longitudinal axis, in response to relative movement between said first and second longitudinal members, an anchor driver operably supported by said tube assembly, wherein the anchor driver has a movable end movable about an attached end, wherein the movable end of the anchor driver is movable from a first longitudinal position to a second longitudinal position while the positioner maintains a substantially constant longitudinal position, and an anchor releasably held by said anchor driver, said anchor comprising a lodging structure, wherein said positioner, said positioner member, and said anchor driver are configured to remain connected to said tube assembly when inside a patient, following a release of said anchor, and during a removal of said tube assembly from the patient, wherein the anchor has a length sufficient to extend through the bladder wall of the patient and into the pelvic floor of the patient.