Patent ID: 7651510

Claim:
A method for anastomosing a first hollow tissue structure to a second hollow tissue structure having an aperture, the method comprising the steps of: taking an anastomosis device comprising a hub having a plurality of openings, and a plurality of tissue securing elements each having a first end and a second end, the tissue securing elements comprised of a material capable of being biased from an unbiased configuration to a biased configuration, each separate tissue securing element being configured to be at least partially disposed within a separate one of the plurality of openings; holding the plurality of tissue securing elements in the biased configuration in the plurality of openings; inserting at least the first ends of the plurality of tissue securing elements through the aperture in the second hollow tissue structure while the plurality of tissue securing elements are in the biased configuration; passing the second ends of the tissue securing elements through the first hollow tissue structure and through the plurality of openings of the hub; ejecting at least a portion of each of the tissue securing elements from the plurality of openings; and permitting the plurality of tissue securing elements to move from the biased configuration to the unbiased configuration, whereat each first end of each tissue securing element contacts the inner surface of the second hollow tissue structure and each second end of each tissue securing element contacts the outer surface of the second hollow tissue structure.