Systems and methods for closing portions of body tissue

Abstract

A system for closing a blood vessel includes a housing having a proximal end and a distal end and configured to be held in the hand of a user, an elongate body extending from the distal end of the housing, a distal housing having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the elongate body and having a cavity including an opening on a side of the distal housing, a lumen passing through the elongate body and terminating at the cavity of the distal housing and configured to couple to a vacuum source, a sensor carried by the distal housing adjacent the cavity and configured for identifying a blood vessel, wherein the lumen is configured to maintain a vacuum within the cavity when a probe having a vessel closure module is inserted within the lumen and the vessel closure module is within the cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for closing a blood vessel, comprising:
 a housing having a proximal end and a distal end and configured to be held in the hand of a user;   an elongate body extending from the distal end of the housing and configured for insertion into the rectum of a subject;   a distal housing having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the elongate body, and having a cavity therein, the cavity communicating with an opening on a side of the distal housing;   a lumen extending through the elongate body and communicating with the cavity of the distal housing, the lumen configured to couple to a vacuum source;   a sensor carried by the distal housing at or adjacent the cavity and configured for identifying a blood vessel; and   wherein the lumen is further configured to allow the insertion and removal of a probe having a distally-located vessel closure module, and wherein the lumen is configured to maintain a vacuum within the cavity when the probe is extended through the lumen with the vessel closure module within the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . A method for producing the system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         3 . A method of using the system of  claim 1 .