Abstract: A vascular closure device including a sheath with one or more orifices therein to detect blood flow, indicating that the sheath has entered an artery and the relative position of the sheath within the artery. Thus, the sheath can be moved and positioned relative to the artery without having to completely extract the sheath from the artery after initial penetration.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a device are shown and disclosed for closing a vascular access puncture site following percutaneous diagnostic or therapeutic interventional procedures. In one embodiment, the closure device includes a vessel locating member, an anchor and a sealing material. The closure device may be configured to deploy the anchor and the sealing material outside of a hole in a blood vessel to close the hole. The vessel locating member may be used to locate the blood vessel to ensure that the anchor and/or the sealing material are properly placed adjacent to the hole. The closure device may also include a tamper member configured to push or tamp the sealing material against the anchor. The closure device may also include a suture that is used to hold the sealing material and the anchor together adjacent to the hole in the blood vessel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing a puncture or incision formed percutaneously in tissue separating two internal portions of the body of a living being with an anchor, a sealing plug and a filament connecting the anchor and sealing plug. The method and apparatus provide for a tamping device that is coilable in some configurations and stiff and straight in other configurations. The coilable tamping device may also automatically tamp the sealing plug when the apparatus is withdrawn from the puncture site. The automatic uncoiling and tamping is facilitated by transducing a motive force generated by the withdrawal of the apparatus into a tamping force.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for sealing a puncture or incision formed percutaneously in tissue separating two internal portions of the body of a living being with an anchor, a sealing plug and a filament connecting the anchor and sealing plug are disclosed. The methods and apparatus provide for automatic tamping of the sealing plug. In addition, torque required to tamp the sealing plug is automatically sensed and gear ratios of an automatic tamping device are automatically changed in response to sensed changes in torque. A planetary transmission may be used to automatically change gear ratios in response to the changes in torque.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a three-needle type vascular closure system. The closure system utilizes three needles in the form of a guiding device, an expandable needle, and a hooking device. The guiding device is used to make the initial opening in the vessel, where the opening provides access for a sheath through which a medical procedure is to be performed. The expandable needle is inserted into the vessel in which it expands radially from the needle to form a target. The hooking device is also inserted into the vessel and is used to hook the expandable needle so as to form an internal union between the hooking device and the expandable needle. The needles can then be retracted thereby extending a suture from the hooking device and forming an internal suture pass that can be used to approximate the tissue surrounding the initial opening in the vessel. In one embodiment, the suture is passed across the vessel opening prior to dilation of the vessel opening.

Abstract: A measuring device is disclosed which includes a proximal end portion having an actuation member thereon and a distal end portion having an expandable member thereon wherein the actuation member and the expandable member are in mechanical or fluid communication via a lumen which extends therebetween such that actuation of the actuation member causes the radial expansion of the expansion member so that when the measuring device is placed in a puncture with the distal end portion in a blood vessel, the measuring device may be withdrawn until the expandable member contacts the wall of the blood vessel adjacent to the puncture to provide the user with an indication of the distance between and/or depth of the blood vessel beneath the skin of the patient.

Abstract: A device and method of closing an incision or puncture in a patient by inserting a hemostatic closure device into the incision or puncture until the distal end of the hemostatic closure device is along the outer wall of the blood vessel or target organ so that the hemostatic closure device does not obstruct the flow of fluid through the blood vessel or target organ. The precise positioning of the hemostatic closure device in the incision or puncture is accomplished through the use of a locating device having a proximal end portion and distally extending locating members thereon which are adapted to be positioned along the outer wall of the blood vessel or target organ of the patient and extend along a relatively small portion of the outer surface of the hemostatic closure device.