Patent ID: 7169157

Claim:
A tacking apparatus for applying fasteners to body tissue comprising: a housing; an actuation mechanism; a supply of an elongated wire; an elongated tubular portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being in communication with the housing, and the distal end having a nose having an interior portion adapted for shaping a length of the wire into an annular shape; a wire advancer for advancing the wire from the supply to and through the nose portion of the elongated tubular portion, the wire advancer being actuated by the actuation mechanism and cooperable with the wire shaping portion of the nose to shape the length of the wire into a annular shape, the wire advancer further including a plurality of teeth that frictionally engage a portion of the wire such that distal movement of the wire advancer advances the wire towards the nose portion; and a cutter for severing the annular shaped portion of the wire to form an annular fastener, wherein the cutter is located on a distal portion of the wire advancer.