Apparatus for sealing a vascular wall penetration disposed at the end of the tissue tract comprises a shaft, an occlusion element, a hemostatic implant, and a protective sleeve. The apparatus is deployed through the tissue tract with the occlusion element temporarily occluding the vascular wall penetration and inhibiting backbleeding therethrough. The hemostatic implant, which will typically be a biodegradable polymer such as collagen carrying an anti-proliferative agent or coagulation promoter, will then be deployed from the sealing apparatus and left in place to enhance closure of the vascular wall penetration with minimum scarring. The implant may be radiopaque to allow observation before release.

Vascular closure assembly embodiments may be used to provide hemostasis at vascular puncture sites or the like. Such vascular puncture or access sites may be created during a variety of percutaneous or minimally invasive medical procedures.

A system having an elongate assembly, an expandable assembly having a fixed end region and a movable end region, the expandable assembly selectively transitioning between an expanded state and an unexpanded state with movement of the movable end region towards the fixed end region, and an advancement aid extending distally from the expandable assembly.

A suturing device is provided that includes a suture positioning assembly that is slidably attachable to a sheath, a housing of the assembly includes a nose, a primary suture with connectors, an end effector, and an end effector actuator, an intravascular tip with a blood contact indicator on the nose, a slide limiter, and a fascia receiving surface, the intravascular tip is configured for insertion into the artery when disposed beneath a fascial layer, the fascia receiving surface is configured for accepting a perimeter edge of a dilated hole of the fascial layer, the housing nose further includes an intermediary suture having intermediary suture connectors, the primary suture connecters are configured for connection to the intermediary suture connectors, the end effector actuator is disposed to operate the end effector to condition the facial layer hole in a position for suturing by the intermediary suture connected to the primary suture.

A medical device includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, the sheath having an opening at both the proximal end and the distal end, and a removable dilator having a distal end and a proximal end, the dilator having at least one blood detector disposed on a tapered portion of the distal end of the dilator, the dilator positionable within the sheath such that the tapered portion of the distal end of the dilator extends through the opening in the distal end of the sheath, the proximal end of the dilator extends through the opening in the proximal end of the sheath, and at least a portion of the at least one blood detector is adjacent to the distal end of the sheath.

Disclosed are puncture sealing systems and methods of locating a puncture site within a vessel. The systems can include puncture locating dilators and access sheaths that are configured to locate the puncture site within a vessel so that the position of the puncture site relative to a distal end of the access sheath is known during a puncture sealing procedure.

A system is provided for causing hemostasis at a puncture and a puncture tract. The system includes an inner member comprising an expandable member at its distal end and an inflation lumen that extends from inner member proximal end to an interior of the expandable member. The system further includes an outer member comprising a lumen sized and shaped to allow the inner member to slide therein, an occlusion balloon at its distal end, and an inflation lumen that extends from its proximal end to the interior of the occlusion balloon. The expandable member can be inflated by fluid flowing through the inner member inflation lumen so that the expandable member can close a puncture in a subcutaneous vessel of a living being. The occlusion balloon can be inflated by fluid flowing through the outer member inflation lumen so that the occlusion balloon can contact and apply pressure to a puncture tract extending from the skin of the living being to the puncture.

An improvement to devices and methods for suturing tissue in various applications, such as percutaneous closure of arterial and venous puncture sites and the like, providing a self-locking or self-securing suture that does not require manual knot-tying to hold in apposition the tissue of the vessel wall on opposite sides of the puncture.

A puncture sealing system for sealing a vascular puncture comprises an inner member comprising an expandable member at an inner member distal end and an inflation lumen that extends from an inner member proximal end to an interior of the expandable member. The puncture sealing system also comprises an outer member comprising a lumen sized and shaped to allow the inner member to slide therein, an occlusion balloon at an outer member distal end, and an inflation lumen that extends from an outer member proximal end to the interior of the occlusion balloon. The expandable member can be inflated by fluid flowing through the inner member inflation lumen so that the expandable member can inflate in a subcutaneous vessel of a living being, and the occlusion balloon can be inflated by fluid flowing through the outer member inflation lumen so that the occlusion balloon can enable the occlusion of a vascular puncture and contact and apply pressure to a puncture tract extending from the vascular puncture. In one version, the inner member further comprises a vessel locator system. In one version, the puncture sealing system further comprises an obturator slidably receivable within the outer member and having a distal end adapted to at least partially cover the puncture.

A closure device for closing an opening in tissue that includes a needle actuation handle that cooperates with a housing. A hollow needle is selectively movable by the needle actuation handle, the needle including a slot extending proximally from a distal end of the needle. A suture anchor is positioned within and selectively releasable from the slot and coupled to a suture. A portion of the suture anchor extends proximally along an outer surface of the needle as the needle is advanced through tissue adjacent the opening.