Blood vessel sealing system

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for sealing access openings into blood vessels using an expandable member in the blood vessel on a control member that extends out through the access opening and an applicator which inserts a preformed sealing material into the access opening over the control member to keep the control member and expandable member centered in the access opening and withdrawing the collapsed expandable member back through the sealing material after the access opening is sealed.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . A system for depositing a sealing material for sealing a puncture in a body cavity wall of a body cavity of a patient comprising:
 a temporary sealing assembly comprising:
 an elongate control member having a length greater than the length of the puncture to be sealed and a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the puncture to be sealed so that the control member passes through the puncture; and 
 an expandable member mounted on said elongate control member at a first prescribed axial position so that a portion of the control member extends exteriorly of the patient when said expandable member is located within the body cavity, the expandable member having a collapsed cross-sectional size smaller than that of the puncture and an expanded cross-sectional size larger than that of the puncture to prevent passage of the expanded expandable member through the puncture so that the elongate control member can be used to pull the expanded expandable member in the body cavity up against that end of the puncture opening into the body cavity; and 
   an applicator comprising:
 an introducer member defining a sealing material chamber therein and a projecting end thereon, the sealing material chamber opening onto the projecting end of the introducer member, 
 a plunger slidably mounted within the introducer member, the plunger movable between an initial position in which a sealing material is housed within said sealing material chamber and a withdrawn position in which the introducer member is withdrawn from around the sealing material while the sealing material is held in position by the plunger, the plunger defining a central passage therethrough sized to allow the control member to slide therethrough, and 
 an interconnect structure connected to the elongate control member and positioned so as to fix the plunger at an axial position with respect to the elongate control member so that the position of the sealing material with respect to the puncture is maintained as the introducer member is withdrawn from around the sealing material. 
   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the interconnect structure is a ridge located around the control member of thickness sufficient to fix the position of the plunger but to allow the introducer member to be withdrawn over the interconnect structure. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the interconnect structure permits withdrawal of the control member through the sealing material and through the puncture after the expandable member is collapsed. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sealing material is a preformed member having a preformed cylindrical passage through which the elongate control member passes. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sealing material is a flexible material that is wrapped around the elongate control member before the sealing material is inserted into the puncture. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the puncture is in the wall of a blood vessel. 
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises an indicia for deploying the sealing material in the puncture and outside the body cavity. 
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises a locking mechanism used for deploying the sealing material in the puncture and outside the body cavity. 
   
   
       19 . A device for sealing a puncture in a body cavity wall of a body cavity of a patient comprising:
 a control member having a length greater than the length of the puncture to be sealed and a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the puncture to be sealed so that the control member can be inserted into the puncture; and   an expandable member fixed to the control member at a first axial position so that a portion of the control member extends exteriorly of the patient when said expandable member is located within the body cavity, the expandable member having a collapsed configuration that fits through the puncture and an expanded configuration that prevents passage of the expanded expandable member through the puncture so that the elongate control member can be used to pull the expanded expandable member in the body cavity up against that end of the puncture opening into the body cavity; and   an introducer member mounted on the control member, the introducer member having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end comprising a sealing material mounted on the control member.   
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the sealing material is wrapped around the control member. 
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the sealing material is fixed to the control member so as to remain axially fixed in place while the introducer member is withdrawn from the puncture. 
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the sealing material is withdrawn from the puncture with the control member after hemostasis begins. 
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the introducer member is operable to deploy the sealing material in the puncture adjacent to the body cavity wall. 
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the puncture is in the wall of a blood vessel. 
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the device further comprises an indicia for deploying the sealing material in the puncture and outside the body cavity. 
   
   
       26 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the device further comprises a locking mechanism used for deploying the sealing material in the puncture and outside the body cavity. 
   
   
       27 . A method of sealing a puncture in a cavity wall of a body cavity of a patient comprising the steps of:
 inserting an expandable member attached to a control member into the body cavity through the puncture while the expandable member is in a collapsed condition with a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the passage so that the control member extends out of the body cavity and the puncture exteriorly of the patient;   expanding the expandable member to an expanded condition having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the puncture;   pulling the expandable member back against the puncture in the cavity wall using the control member so as to close the puncture in the cavity wall;   inserting an introducer member into the puncture until the distal end of the introducer member reaches the distal end of the puncture, the introducer member comprising a plunger and a sealing material; and   withdrawing the introducer member from the puncture while the plunger and the sealing material remain at the distal end of the puncture.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of:
 collapsing the expandable member to a collapsed condition having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the puncture;   withdrawing the control member and the collapsed expandable member from the body cavity.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of:
 collapsing the expandable member to a collapsed condition having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the puncture;   withdrawing the control member and the collapsed expandable member through the sealing material in the puncture.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the sealing material is a preformed cylindrical member with a cylindrical passage along the length of the preformed cylindrical member. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the sealing material is a preformed cylindrical member with an opening along its length so that the preformed cylindrical member can be placed on the control member passing through the plunger and the introducer member. 
   
   
       32 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the puncture is in the wall of a blood vessel. 
   
   
       33 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the step of inserting the introducer member into the puncture until the distal end of the introducer member reaches the distal end of the puncture further comprises reading an indicia indicating the sealing material is positioned in the puncture and outside the body cavity. 
   
   
       34 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the step of inserting the introducer member into the puncture until the distal end of the introducer member reaches the distal end of the puncture further comprises engaging a locking mechanism so that the sealing material is positioned in the puncture and outside the body cavity. 
   
   
       35 . A method for sealing a puncture in a cavity wall of a body cavity of a patient comprising the steps of:
 inserting a device into the puncture, the device comprising
 an expandable member attached to a control member with a distal end of the control member and the expandable member extending into the body cavity through the puncture while the expandable member is in a collapsed condition so that a proximal end of the control member extends out of the body cavity and the puncture exteriorly of the patient; and 
 an introducer member extending into the puncture until a distal end of the introducer member reaches a distal end of the puncture, the distal end of the introducer member comprising a sealing material; 
   expanding the expandable member to an expanded condition that prevents passage of the expandable member through the puncture; and   pulling the expandable member back against the puncture in the cavity wall using the control member so as to position the control member and the distal end of the introducer member.   
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the step of withdrawing the introducer member from the puncture while the sealing material remains at the distal end of the puncture. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the step of withdrawing the introducer member from the puncture while the sealing material remains fixed to the control member at the distal end of the puncture. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the steps of collapsing the expandable member and withdrawing the control member with the sealing material after hemostasis begins. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the sealing material comprises an opening along its length allowing the sealing material to be wrapped around the control member. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the steps of:
 deploying the sealing material at the distal end of the puncture;   collapsing the expandable member to a collapsed condition; and   withdrawing the control member and the collapsed expandable member through the sealing material in the puncture.   
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the puncture is in the wall of a blood vessel. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the step of reading an indicia indicating the sealing material is positioned in the puncture and outside the body cavity. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the step of engaging a locking mechanism so that the sealing material is positioned in the puncture and outside the body cavity.