Fastener apparatus for tissue and methods of deployment and manufacture

Abstract

An apparatus and method for connecting two tubular vessels together in a side-by-side or tangential manner is disclosed. The apparatus has an annulus and at least one series of fingers connected to and extending away from the annulus. Each finger is preferably heat-formed into an arcuate shape. In use, a deployment apparatus is used to constrain the fingers of the apparatus to be in a relatively planar configuration. The deployment apparatus containing the apparatus is placed between and in contact with the two tubular vessels so that one tubular vessel is above the device and one tubular vessel is below the device and so that the fingers of the device come into contact with the tissue of the vessels. As the fingers penetrate the vessels the constraint on the fingers is removed so that the fingers can assume their unbiased, heat-formed arcuate shape. In this way, the fingers penetrate and grasp the tissue of the vessels so that the apparatus grasps the vessels and pulls the vessels toward each other.

1 . An apparatus for securing a tubular duct having a wall to a vessel having a wall in a side by side configuration, comprising:
 a circumferentially continuous annulus having a first set of fingers extending from the annulus in a first direction, the first set of fingers being configured for automatic movement from a first biased configuration toward a heat-formed, relaxed second configuration; and   the first set of fingers being configured to penetrate and grasp the wall of either the tubular duct or vessel as they move from the first configuration toward the second configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first set of fingers are formed as a monolithic piece of material with the annulus. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first set of fingers is configured to penetrate the wall of the tubular duct as they move from the first configuration toward the second configuration; and
 further comprising a second set of fingers extending at least in part from the annulus in a second direction generally opposite the first direction, the second set of fingers being configured for automatic movement from a first biased configuration toward a heat-formed second relaxed configuration; and 
 the second set of fingers being configured to penetrate and grasp the wall of the vessel as they move from the first configuration toward the second configuration. 
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein each finger of the first and second sets of fingers has a generally arcuate shape in the second configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein each finger of the first and second sets of fingers has a substantially flat shape in the first configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein each finger of the first and second sets of fingers are substantially coplanar with one another in the first configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the second set of fingers are formed as a monolithic piece of material with the annulus. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each finger of the second set of fingers has a generally arcuate shape in the second configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each finger of the first set of fingers has a generally arcuate shape in the second configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the first set of fingers are circumferentially staggered relative to the second set of fingers. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the circumferentially continuous annulus is formed in a plane having a longitudinal axis extending along the plane and a perpendicular axis extending perpendicular to the plane, wherein the annulus has a bias imparted therein to provide the annulus with a biased first configuration and an unbiased second configuration; wherein the biased first configuration has opposite sides of the annulus across the longitudinal axis in close proximity to each other along the longitudinal axis to form an elongated, substantially closed slit and, wherein the unbiased second configuration has opposite sides of the annulus across the longitudinal axis spaced apart from each other; and wherein the annulus is automatically biased to move from the biased first configuration toward the unbiased second configuration.