Patent ID: 8066723

Claim:
An applicator for delivering and deploying a connector for mechanically connecting hollow structures, said connector including an expandable annular member and a plurality of deformable staple-like elements spaced around the circumference of the annular member, comprising: a shank-like element; a head formed at a distal end of the shank-like element, said head being adjustable in such a manner that the annular member and the staple-like elements of the connector are deformed from the starting position to the joining position when said adjusting takes place, said head including an inner member and an outer member which are longitudinally slidable and include longitudinally opposite anvil formations which are movable to and from one another upon relative sliding movements of the inner and outer members in order to deform the staple-like elements to their joining position; wherein both the inner and outer members are expandable to deform the connector to the joining position during expansion of the inner and outer members and an expandable portion of the inner member is located inside the outer member when the inner member is expanded so as to expand the outer member by expansion of the inner member.