Patent ID: 7563267

Claim:
A fixation device for engaging tissue comprising; a pair of fixation elements each having a first end, a free end opposite the first end, and an engagement surface therebetween for engaging the tissue, the first ends being movably coupled together such that the fixation elements are moveable between a closed position wherein the engagement surfaces face each other to an inverted position wherein the engagement surfaces face away from each other; and an actuation mechanism coupled to the fixation elements adapted to move the fixation elements between the closed position and the inverted position; and a pair of gripping elements, each gripping element moveable with respect to one of the fixation elements and being disposed in opposition to one of the engagement surfaces so as to capture tissue therebetween, wherein each fixation element is at least partially concave and each gripping element is at least partially recessed within the fixation element in the deployed configuration, and wherein the gripping elements are movable from an undeployed configuration in which each gripping element is separated from an opposing engagement surface, to a deployed configuration in which the gripping element is closer to the opposing engagement surface.