Patent ID: 7794471

Claim:
A surgical apparatus for connecting a graft vessel to a target vessel, comprising: an actuator; and an effector operationally connected to said actuator, said effector configured to place the graft vessel in fluid communication with the target vessel; wherein said effector comprises a frame, a cutter assembly movably connected to said frame and a connection module connected to said frame, wherein said connection module is movable between an open position and a closed position, and wherein at least part of said connection module is rotatable about a first axis to move between said open position and said closed position; wherein said cutter assembly includes a rotatable cutter having a generally circular cutting edge at the distal end thereof, whereby rotation of said cutter creates an opening in the wall of the target vessel, and wherein said cutter assembly is movable from a first position on said frame in which said cutter is substantially in axial alignment with the longitudinal centerline of the opening to a second position on said frame in which said cutter is substantially out of axial alignment with the longitudinal centerline of the opening, wherein said cutter assembly is connected to said frame in both said first position and said second position and wherein said first position and said second position are separated from one another on said frame; wherein said frame remains substantially stationary adjacent the opening in the wall of the target vessel during motion of said cutter assembly from said first position to said second position; and wherein said connection module includes an anvil plate and a plurality of independent connectors held by said anvil plate, wherein said cutter assembly is moveable along said frame to said second position before said connection module deploys said connectors; and wherein said connectors are deformable against said anvil plate, after which said anvil plate is rotatable about a second axis relative to a remainder of said connection module to free said connectors, wherein said second axis is different from said first axis.