Automatic purse string suture device

An automatic suturing device comprising:

• an outer tubular member having a distal edge forming a substantially sinusoidal configuration having peak sections and valley sections, said peak sections being distal relative to said valley sections and having an annular needle passage defined therein;
• a plurality of disks rotationally mounted circumferentially within said outer tubular member wherein each of said disks is diametrically aligned with a peak section;
• an inner tubular member coaxially positioned within said outer tubular member and rotationally engagable with said plurality of disks such that an annular needle operatively positioned within said annular needle passage is advanced through said passage by said rotational engagement;
• and
• means for releaseably engaging the wall of a vessel lumen against said distal edge of said outer tubular member whereby said tissue conforms to said substantially sinusoidal configuration.

A method of automatically providing a purse string suture at a target site within the wall of a tissue structure comprising the steps of:

• providing an annular structure having a distal edge comprising a substantially sinusoidal configuration;
• engaging said distal edge against the target site;
• conforming the tissue wall at the target site to said substantially sinusoidal configuration;
• and
• passing an annular needle through the tissue wall.