Patent ID: 7497865

Claim:
An apparatus for preparing a first organ having an orifice for anastomosis with a second organ, by installing at the orifice a ring consisting of a malleable ring portion, sized to extend around the orifice, and docking members and malleable tines extending out from the ring portion, said apparatus comprising: a ring-mounting assembly configured to releasably mount the ring; an anvil extending transversely across a distal end of an anvil stem; an anvil mounting assembly configured to releasably mount the anvil in such a position that the anvil can be advanced into the first organ; and a cam-driven assembly comprising a cam element having cam tracks and configured to advance the anvil mounting assembly toward the anvil, after the anvil has been positioned in the first organ and the ring has been positioned so that the ring portion extends around the orifice, to cause tips of the tines to pierce tissue of the first organ around the orifice and then to advance into engagement with the anvil, and to then continue to advance the ring toward the anvil thereby causing the tines to curl against the anvil after piercing the tissue around the orifice so as to evert said tissue around the orifice.