Access closure with bleed monitoring

Abstract

A blood vessel access closure device includes an inner blood vessel wall support member and an outer blood vessel wall support member. The closure device also includes a deployment member and an electrode. The deployment member is configured to draw the inner and outer blood vessel wall support members towards each other when the inner and outer blood vessel wall members are deployed on opposite sides of a blood vessel wall during closure of a hole in the blood vessel wall. The electrode is configured to be attached to the deployment member and configured to be used to measure impedance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blood vessel access closure device, comprising:
 an inner blood vessel wall support member;   an outer blood vessel wall support member;   a deployment member configured to draw the inner and outer blood vessel wall support members towards each other when the inner and outer blood vessel wall members are deployed on opposite sides of a blood vessel wall during closure of a hole in the blood vessel wall; and   a first electrode configured to be attached to the deployment member and configured to be used to measure impedance, wherein the first electrode is bioabsorbable.   
     
     
         2 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 1 , wherein the deployment member comprises a conductive suture wire attached to the first electrode. 
     
     
         3 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive patch configured to be placed on a person's skin over a blood vessel access location, the adhesive patch comprising a second electrode. 
     
     
         4 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 3 , wherein the adhesive patch includes a circuit configured to transmit a wireless signal, the wireless signal indicative of the impedance. 
     
     
         5 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive patch configured to be placed on a person's skin over the blood vessel, the adhesive patch comprising a plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         6 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 5 , wherein the adhesive patch comprises a circuit configured to use the first electrode and one or more of the plurality of electrodes on the adhesive patch to measure multiple impedance values in multiple different locations. 
     
     
         7 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 5 , wherein the adhesive patch comprises a visual indicator of one or more of the multiple impedance values, the visual indicator indicative of a location of a bleed. 
     
     
         8 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 5 , wherein the adhesive patch has a rectangular shape, the rectangular shape having a width and a length, and the plurality of electrodes are positioned along the length. 
     
     
         9 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 5 , wherein the adhesive patch is circular. 
     
     
         10 . The blood vessel access closure device of  claim 1 , further including:
 a guide wire including multiple electrodes; and   an adhesive patch configured to be placed on a person's skin over a blood vessel access location, the adhesive patch comprising:
 multiple electrodes; 
 a circuit configured to determine an impedance between (a) any of the multiple electrodes on the adhesive patch and (b) the first electrode and any of the multiple electrodes on the guide wire to detect occurrence of a bleed; and 
 a visual indicator indicative of a location of a detected bleed. 
   
     
     
         11 . A patch adapted to be placed on a person's skin over a blood vessel, the patch comprising:
 a first electrode; and   a circuit coupled to the first electrode and configured to measure an impedance value between the first electrode and a second electrode.   
     
     
         12 . The patch of  claim 11 , further comprising a third electrode, and the circuit is configured to measure an impedance value between the third electrode and the second electrode. 
     
     
         13 . The patch of  claim 12 , further comprising one or more electrodes in addition to the first and third electrodes, the circuit is configured to measure impedance values between the one or more electrodes and the second electrode. 
     
     
         14 . The patch of  claim 12 , wherein the patch has a rectangular shape, the rectangular shape having a width and a length, and the first, third, and the one or more electrodes are positioned along the length. 
     
     
         15 . The patch of  claim 10 , wherein the patch is circular. 
     
     
         16 . The patch of  claim 10 , further comprising a visual indicator of the impedance value. 
     
     
         17 . The patch of  claim 10 , wherein the patch is adhesive. 
     
     
         18 . The patch of  claim 10 , wherein the circuit includes a transceiver configured to transmit a wireless signal, the wireless signal indicative of the impedance value. 
     
     
         19 . The patch of  claim 10 , wherein the circuit is battery-operated.