Fasteners, deployment systems, and methods for ophthalmic tissue closure and fixation of ophthalmic prostheses and other uses

A method of fastening together a tissue region having a first tissue and a second tissue with a surgical fastener, the surgical fastener having a first leg, a second leg, and a base portion that supports the legs relative to one another, the method comprising:

• inserting a distal end of a first needle anvil into the tissue, the first needle anvil having a channel for receiving the first leg of the fastener;
• inserting the first leg into the tissue;
• deploying the fastener by deforming the first leg relative to the base portion of the fastener with a translation and a rotation of the first needle anvil relative to the base portion such that the fastener is deformed from an open configuration to a closed configuration, the deployed fastener fastening the first tissue to the second tissue;
• and
• removing the distal end of the first needle anvil from the tissue region.

A method of deploying a fastener in an ocular tissue, the method comprising:

• penetrating a surface of the ocular tissue with a tissue-penetrating distal end of an anvil and inserting the anvil into the ocular tissue until a tissue engagement surface of a lobe coupled with the anvil contacts the surface of the ocular tissue, the tissue engaging surface of the lobe configured to control a penetration depth of the anvil;
• articulating the anvil to deform a fastener residing in a channel of the anvil and maintaining contact between the tissue engagement surface of the lobe during the deformation of the fastener, wherein the tissue engagement surface of the lobe controls penetration depth of the anvil and the fastener during deformation of the fastener;
• and
• releasing the deformed fastener from the channel of the anvil.

A method of deploying a fastener in an ocular tissue, the method comprising:

• penetrating the surface of the ocular tissue with a tissue penetrating end of an anvil;
• contacting a tissue engagement surface of a lobe with the surface of the ocular tissue, the lobe being incorporated with the anvil;
• deploying a fastener by rotating the tissue engagement surface of the lobe against the surface of the ocular tissue;
• wherein rotation of the lobe against the surface of the ocular tissue controls a depth of penetration of the fastener into the ocular tissue during deployment of the fastener from an open configuration to a closed configuration;
• and
• releasing the fastener in the closed configuration.