Patent ID: 7766937

Claim:
A surgical assembly consisting of: a) a hollow needle having a longitudinal axis, an outer diameter of substantially 2 mm or smaller and a sharp distal end which is angled relative to said longitudinal axis for creating a puncture incision in the human body; and b) a surgical instrument consisting of a shaft, end effectors connected to said shaft at a first end of said shaft, said end effectors having opposed distal tips, and a proximal handle or knob coupled to a second end of said shaft, said surgical instrument having no wires extending through said shaft or about said shaft for manipulating said end effectors, said shaft extending through said hollow needle, said surgical instrument being movable relative to said hollow needle, and said end effectors are biased to a first position such that when said end effectors extend out of said needle said end effectors automatically open relative to each other with said opposed distal tips substantially separated from one another in an extended position, and when said sharp distal end of said hollow needle extends over and engages said end effectors, said sharp distal end of said hollow needle operates on said end effectors to automatically force said end effectors into a closed second position with said opposed distal tips adapted in said closed second position to either grasp tissue between said opposed distal tips or disposed in proximate contact to one another while disposed distal of said sharp distal end of said hollow needle, and wherein said end effectors are moveable relative to said outer hollow needle to a third refracted position wherein said distal tips of said end effectors are positioned proximal relative to said sharp distal end of said outer hollow needle to thereby expose said sharp distal end of said hollow needle, and wherein said end effectors and said sharp distal end of said hollow needle are adapted such that said end effectors are closed into said closed second position from said first position solely by contact of said distal end of said needle.