Patent ID: 8074857

Claim:
A device for gathering and securing opposed tissue with a fastener comprising: an applicator assembly operably configured to deploy a fastener having a generally symmetric u-shaped configuration in a first plane defined by a pair of tips and a body of the fastener, the applicator assembly including a head portion adapted to be positioned in an interface between opposed tissue; a tissue manipulation assembly operably configured to move from a relaxed position to a grasping position in a second plane generally transverse to the first plane; and a translating trigger assembly operably coupled to the applicator assembly and the tissue manipulation assembly, the trigger assembly operably configured to move from a relaxed position, through a first position, to a second position along a third plane that is generally transverse to both the first plane and the second plane, such that manual operation of the translating trigger assembly from the relaxed position through the first position along the third plane causes the tissue manipulation assembly to move in the second plane to gather at least portion of the opposed tissue, said opposed tissue being positioned on either side of the head portion without overlapping the opposed tissue along the third plane, and such that continued manual operation of the translating trigger assembly from the first position on to the second position along the third plane causes the applicator assembly to deploy the fastener into the opposed tissue along the first plane.