Tissue fasteners and related insertion devices, mechanisms, and methods

A tissue fastening system for use in closing two sides of an incision or wound in a surface of skin tissue, comprising:

• a tissue fastener comprising (i) a bridge section including a first portion and a second portion, (ii) a first leg section integral with the bridge section and extending from the first portion of the bridge section, at least a portion of the first leg section defining a first lumen extending therethrough such that the first leg section is cannulated, and (iii) a second leg section integral with the bridge section and extending from the second portion of the bridge section, at least a portion of the second leg section defining a second lumen extending therethrough such that the second leg section is cannulated, each of the first and second leg sections including at least one barb extending from that leg section, each of the barbs including a pointed element and arranged to be oriented such that its pointed element is not directed towards the surface of the skin tissue and such that the barb resists dislodgement of the fastener after the fastener is deployed into the skin tissue and completely below the surface of the skin tissue, the bridge section being sufficiently flexible to allow the first and second leg sections to spread apart angularly, the bridge section and the first and second leg sections comprising a single piece of material;
• and
• a hand-held insertion mechanism comprising first and second presser feet for everting and reflecting thereover each of the two sides of the incision or wound respectively, the hand-held insertion mechanism also comprising an insertion device arranged to move and deploy the tissue fastener in a generally perpendicular orientation in relation to a plane defined by bottom surfaces of the presser feet to deploy the fastener into the two sides of the incision or wound, the insertion device comprising a first needle configured to extend through the first lumen of the cannulated first leg section and a second needle configured to extend through the second lumen of the cannulated second leg section, the first and second needles being substantially parallel to each other, each of the first and second needles including a sharp end that is exposed with the tissue fastener loaded onto the insertion device, the sharp ends for penetrating into the skin tissue, the hand-held insertion mechanism arranged to drive at least a portion of the insertion device into the skin tissue and then retract the insertion device to dispose the tissue fastener completely below the surface of the skin tissue.