Mechanical method and apparatus for tissue fastening

A mechanical method of fastening opposing skin tissue across an opening comprising:

• utilizing a manipulator apparatus to position a first side of the opposing skin tissue against a driving head to define a first target tissue zone and to position a second side of the opposing skin tissue against the driving head to define a second target issue zone, each target tissue zone being defined in a plane of each dermal layer generally perpendicular to both a surface of the associated epidermal layer and a longitudinal orientation of the opening for a length longer than a length of the fastener;
• and
• utilizing the fastening apparatus to secure the dermal layers by inserting a fastener through each of the target tissue zones in an orientation generally perpendicular to the plane of the target tissue zones.

A mechanical method of fastening of a pair of opposing pieces of skin tissue across a gap comprising:

• utilizing a mechanical apparatus to position a dermal layer of each of the opposing skin tissue together at the gap such that a pair of unique tissue target zones in the dermal layer are presented, each tissue target zone being defined in a three dimensional volume of one of the pieces of opposing skin tissue at a depth of between 0.1 mm and 2.0 mm below an exterior surface of the skin tissue, at a width of between 1 mm and 20 mm from an edge of the gap and along a longitudinal length of the gap that is longer than a length of the fastener wherein the depth and width define an insertion plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the gap;
• and
• utilizing a fastening apparatus to secure the dermal layers by inserting a portion of a fastener through the insertion plane into each tissue target zone with no portion of the fastener above the exterior surface of the skin tissue.