Tissue closure device

Abstract

Collapsible tube embodiments may be used to promote hemostasis at surgical sites or any other suitable location. In some cases, vascular closure device embodiments may include collapsible tube embodiments in order to promote hemostasis at a surgical site during a vascular closure procedure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vascular closure device, comprising:
 a housing having an elongate configuration with an axial length greater than a transverse dimension thereof, a proximal end, a distal end and a distal section;   a plurality of anchor deployers which are slidably disposed within the housing adjacent each other at the distal section of the housing and which are configured to extend and spread from the distal section of the housing, each anchor deployer comprising:
 an deployment rod which is slidably disposed relative to the housing and which includes an elongate resilient configuration and a distal end that extends distally and radially from the distal section of the housing, and 
 an anchor which is secured to the distal end of the deployment rod and which is configured to grip tissue; and 
   a tissue grip which is deployable from the distal end of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  wherein the housing further comprises a guidewire lumen extending an axial length thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  further comprising a handle secured to the proximal end of the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  further comprising a deployment rod pusher which is spring loaded and biased towards a retracted position and which is operatively coupled to the deployment rods. 
     
     
         5 . The vascular closure device of  claim 4  wherein the deployment rod pusher is operatively coupled to a proximal end of the deployment rods and configured to extend the deployment rods in a distal direction upon actuation. 
     
     
         6 . The vascular closure device of  claim 5  wherein the deployment rods are configured to extend and retract simultaneously. 
     
     
         7 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  wherein the tissue grip is disposed on the distal end of the housing around the anchor deployers and which is configured to compress and secure tissue portions relative to each other once deployed from the distal end of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The vascular closure device of  claim 7  wherein the tissue grip comprises a lock ring disposed about the anchor deployers which includes a self-retracting coil with a central lumen which is sized to allow movement of the tissue portions while the self-retracting coil is in an expanded state and which has an interior surface of the central lumen that is configured to compress and secure the tissue portions relative to each other when in a retracted state. 
     
     
         9 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  wherein the tissue grip comprises a tissue adhesive that may be dispensed from an outlet port in the distal end of the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The vascular closure device of  claim 9  wherein the tissue adhesive comprises cyanoacrylate. 
     
     
         11 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  wherein the anchors comprise releasable anchors. 
     
     
         12 . The vascular closure device of  claim 11  wherein each of the releasable anchors comprises a jaw that can be moved between an open state and a closed state, each jaw further including an opposed pair of tissue gripping teeth. 
     
     
         13 . The vascular closure device of  claim 11  wherein each of the releasable anchors comprises a shaft having an elongate configuration with an axial length greater than an outer transverse dimension that is configured to be actuated between a curved tissue gripping state and a straightened state, the shaft further including a sharpened distal end. 
     
     
         14 . The vascular closure device of  claim 13  wherein the shaft comprises a shape memory metal that can be actuated between the curved tissue gripping state and the straightened state. 
     
     
         15 . The vascular closure device of  claim 14  wherein the shape memory metal of the shaft comprises nickel titanium alloy. 
     
     
         16 . The vascular closure device of  claim 13  wherein the shaft comprises a bi-metal structure that can be actuated between the curved tissue gripping state and the straightened state. 
     
     
         17 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  wherein the anchors comprise detachable anchors and the anchor deployers comprise releasable junctions disposed between each detachable anchor and deployment rod secured thereto. 
     
     
         18 . The vascular closure device of  claim 17  wherein each of the detachable anchors comprises a proximally oriented barb. 
     
     
         19 . The vascular closure device of  claim 18  wherein the detachable anchors comprise a plurality of proximally oriented barbs. 
     
     
         20 . The vascular closure device of  claim 17  wherein the releasable junctions comprise a junction released by thermal detachment. 
     
     
         21 . The vascular closure device of  claim 17  wherein the releasable junctions comprise a junction released by mechanical detachment. 
     
     
         22 . The vascular closure device of  claim 1  further comprising a lateral surface configured to extend radially from a distal extension of the housing while the lateral surface is disposed within a blood vessel to provide a reference point between axial relative positions of the wall of the blood vessel and the anchors prior to deployment of the anchors. 
     
     
         23 . The vascular closure device of  claim 22  wherein the anchors can be deployed a predetermined axial distance from the wall of the blood vessel as measured from the lateral surface which is disposed against the wall of the blood vessel. 
     
     
         24 . A method for vascular closure, comprising:
 disposing a distal end of a housing of a vascular closure device to a position adjacent a passage in a tissue layer;   deploying a plurality of anchor deployers from a distal section of the housing by distally advancing deployment rods of the anchor deployers in a distal and radially outward direction from the housing into the tissue layer in positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer;   securing respective anchors of the anchor deployers to the tissue layer in positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer;   proximally retracting the deployment rods back into the distal section of the housing so as to draw the anchors and respective tissue layer portions secured thereto together adjacent the distal section of the housing;   deploying a tissue grip over the anchors and onto the tissue layer portions secured to the anchors so as to secure the tissue layer portions together; and   releasing the anchors from the tissue layer portions.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising releasing the anchors from the tissue layer portions prior to deploying the tissue grip and re-deploying the plurality of anchor deployers from a distal section of the housing by distally advancing deployment rods of the anchor deployers in a distal and radially outward direction from the housing into the tissue layer in positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer, re-securing respective anchors of the anchor deployers to the tissue layer in positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer; and proximally retracting the deployment rods back into the distal section of the housing a second time so as to draw the anchors and respective tissue layer portions secured thereto together adjacent the distal section of the housing. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the anchors comprise jaws that can be moved between an open state and a closed state, wherein securing respective anchors to the tissue layer comprises inserting tissue of the tissue layer into the jaws while in an open state and then closing the jaws to the closed state to grip the tissue layer. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein releasing the anchors from the tissue layer portions comprises moving the jaws from the closed state to the open state. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the anchors comprise a shaft including a sharpened distal end and having an elongate configuration with an axial length greater than an outer transverse dimension, the shaft being configured to be actuated between a curved tissue gripping state and a straightened state, and wherein securing respective anchors to the tissue layer comprises inserting the sharpened distal ends of the shaft into the tissue layer with the shaft in a straightened state and actuating the shaft to move the shaft into a curved tissue gripping state. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein releasing the anchors from the tissue layer portions comprises actuating the shafts from the curved tissue gripping state to the straightened state and proximally retracting the shafts from the tissue layer portions. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising proximally withdrawing deployment rods and anchors of each of the plurality of anchor deployers from respective anchors and into the distal section of the housing. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24  wherein deploying the tissue grip onto the tissue layer portions comprises sliding a self-contracting ring in an expanded state from a distal end of the housing and allowing the self-contracting ring to contact to a relaxed state over the tissue layer portions. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24  wherein deploying the tissue grip onto the tissue layer portions comprises applying a tissue adhesive to the tissue layer portions. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein applying a tissue adhesive to the tissue layer portions comprises applying cyanoacrylate adhesive to the tissue layer portions. 
     
     
         34 . A method for vascular closure, comprising:
 disposing a distal end of a housing of a vascular closure device to a position adjacent a passage in a tissue layer;   deploying a plurality of anchor deployers from a distal section of the housing by distally advancing deployment rods of the anchor deployers in a distal and radially outward direction from the housing into the tissue layer in positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer;   securing respective anchors of the anchor deployers to the tissue layer in positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer;   proximally retracting the deployment rods back into the distal section of the housing so as to draw the anchors and respective tissue layer portions secured thereto together adjacent the distal section of the housing;   deploying a tissue grip over the anchors and onto the tissue layer portions secured to the anchors so as to secure the tissue layer portions together; and   detaching each anchor from the respective deployment rod secured thereto.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the anchor deployers comprise releasable junctions disposed between each respective deployment rod and anchor thereof, and wherein detaching each anchor from the respective deployment rod secured thereto comprises heating a tether of the releasable junction until it melts. 
     
     
         36 . A method for vascular closure, comprising:
 disposing a vascular closure device adjacent a passage in a tissue layer which is disposed above and adjacent an access hole in a blood vessel of a patient;   deploying a plurality of anchors from a distal section of the vascular closure device in a distal and radially outward direction therefrom and engaging the tissue layer in positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer with the anchors;   securing the anchors to the tissue layer in the positions disposed about the passage in the tissue layer;   proximally retracting the anchors closer together so as to draw the anchors and respective tissue layer portions secured thereto together thereby closing the passage in the tissue layer; and   deploying a tissue grip onto the tissue layer portions drawn together by the anchors so as to secure the drawn together tissue layer portions thereby closing the passage in the tissue layer and achieving vascular closure of the access hole in the blood vessel.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein deploying the tissue grip onto the tissue layer portions drawn together by the anchors comprises deploying a lock ring onto the drawn together tissue layer portions. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein deploying the tissue grip onto the tissue layer portions drawn together by the anchors comprises deploying a tissue adhesive onto the drawn together tissue layer portions.