Patent ID: 8177836

Claim:
A surgical fastening apparatus comprising: at least one self-closing clip comprising a wire defining an intermediate portion interconnecting opposing, first and second side portions, the side portions each having a memory set loop shape; and a deployment device comprising: at least one clip holding assembly for selectively retaining and deploying the clip, the clip holding assembly including: first and second hollow containment arms each forming a distal segment defining a lumen extending from an open, distal end, wherein the containment arms are arranged in a side-by-side fashion, a first transfer rod associated with at least one of the containment arms in an axially movable fashion relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one containment arm, wherein a distal region of the transfer rod forms an engagement feature, an actuator connected to the transfer rod for controlling movement of the transfer rod relative to the containment arms; wherein upon final assembly in a pre-deployment state, the engagement feature of the transfer rod engages the intermediate portion of the clip, and the first and second side portions of the clip are captured by the distal segments of the first and second containment arms; and further wherein the deployment device is configured such that upon actuation of the actuator, the transfer rod extends distally relative to the containment arms in transitioning to a deployment state in which the first and second side portions of the clip extend distally beyond the distal end of the first and second containment arms, respectively.