Patent ID: 8679138

Claim:
An applicator for forming a hole in a wall of a hollow organ comprising: a hole forming element for forming a hole in the wall of the organ, the hole forming element having a cutting element on a distal end thereof; a positioning element coupled to the hole forming element for positioning the hole forming element; retractor element operatively coupled to the positioning element; and a sequencing element for coordinating the relative movement of the retractor element and the hole forming element in a sequential manner to thereby carry out a procedure for forming a hole in the wall of the hollow organ; wherein the retractor element comprises a retractor body movably disposed within the hole forming element and an expansion element disposed on a distal end of the retractor body, the expansion element being expandable; wherein the expansion element is expandable from an unexpanded state to fully expanded state and to a partially expanded state; wherein the sequencing element controls the expansion of the expansion element from the unexpanded state, to the fully expanded state, and to the partially expanded state in a sequential manner; wherein the sequencing element further comprises a safety latch element operatively coupled to the retracting element and the hole forming element; and wherein the sequencing element further comprises a sequencing bolt that extends through a cylinder cam slot formed in the retractor element, a pusher cam slot formed in a pusher element, and a safety latch cam slot formed in the safety latch element.