Patent ID: 7959648

Claim:
A medical apparatus comprising: an elongate sheath having at least three passages including a central passage and a pair of needle passages; a hollow needle slidably disposed within each needle passage, a distal tip of each needle being sharp for embedment in tissue, and a distal end of each needle being pre-formed to assume a predetermined curved shape when relaxed, the needles being extendable distally from and retractable into their respective needle passages; the needles and sheath being cooperatively arranged to direct the needles in diametrically opposite directions when the needles are extended from their respective needle passages; and a wire slidably disposed within a lumen of each needle, each wire having a distal end with a pre-formed shape, the wire distal end having a straightened shape different from the pre-formed shape when constrained within the needle and being adapted to assume its pre-formed shape when extended distally beyond the distal end of the needle, the pre-formed shape defining an anchor adapted to securely engage tissue when assuming the pre-formed shape within tissue.