Device and method sealing puncture wounds

Claim 1

A device for use in sealing a puncture in a wall of a blood vessel of a patient where said blood vessel is separated from the skin of the patient by a layer of tissue, where a tissue channel communicates between said puncture and the patient's skin and where a guide wire having proximal and distal ends extends at least from said puncture through said channel, to the patient's skin, comprising (a) a tissue dilator having a front portion and a rear portion, (b) a dilator channel running through said dilator from said front portion to said rear portion, said dilator channel being adapted to receive therein and pass therethrough the proximal end of said guide wire, (c) an elongated hollow sheath having a distal end and a proximal end, said sheath being adapted to pass over said dilator, said sheath having a lumen running therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end, (d) a plug holder having a channel, (e) hemostatic material which is retained within said channel in said plug holder prior to its insertion into said sheath, (f) means for inserting said hemostatic material into said sheath, (g) means for advancing said hemostatic material through said sheath out of the distal end thereof against said vessel wall around said puncture, and (h) means for aligning said sheath lumen with said plug holder channel when said tissue dilator is removed, whereby said hemostatic material can be fed from said plug holder channel into said sheath lumen.

Claim 2

A device for use in sealing a puncture in a wall of a blood vessel of a patient where said blood vessel is separated from the skin of the patient by a layer of tissue, where a tissue channel communicates between said puncture and the patient's skin and where a guide wire having proximal and distal ends extends at least from said puncture through said channel, to the patient's skin, comprising (a) a tissue dilator having a front portion and a rear portion, (b) a dilator channel running through said dilator from said front portion to said rear portion, said dilator channel being adapted to receive therein and pass therethrough the proximal end of said guide wire, (c) an elongated hollow sheath having a distal end and a proximal end, said sheath being adapted to pass over said dilator, said sheath having a lumen running therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end, (d) a plug holder having a channel, (e) hemostatic material which is retained within said channel in said plug holder prior to its insertion into said sheath, (f) means for inserting said hemostatic material into said sheath, (g) means for advancing said hemostatic material through said sheath out of the distal end thereof against said vessel wall around said puncture, and (h) means for aligning said sheath lumen with said plug holder channel when said tissue dilator is removed, whereby said hemostatic material can be fed from said plug holder channel into said sheath lumen.

Claim 3

A device for use in sealing a puncture in a wall of a blood vessel of a patient where said blood vessel is separated from the skin of the patient by a layer of tissue, where a tissue channel communicates between said puncture and the patient's skin and where a guide wire having proximal and distal ends extends at least from said puncture, through said channel, to the patient's skin, comprising (a) a tissue dilator having a front portion and a rear portion, (b) a dilator channel running through said dilator from said front portion to said rear portion, said dilator channel being adapted to receive therein and pass therethrough the proximal end of said guide wire, (c) an elongated hollow sheath having a distal end and a proximal end, said sheath being adapted to pass over said dilator, said sheath having a lumen running therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end, (d) a plug holder having a channel therein which communicates with said sheath lumen when said tissue dilator is removed, (e) hemostatic material which is retained within said plug holder channel prior to its insertion into said sheath, (f) means for inserting said hemostatic material into said sheath, (g) means for advancing said hemostatic material through said sheath, out of the distal end thereof against said vessel wall around said puncture.

Claim 4

A device for use in sealing a puncture in a wall of a blood vessel of a patient where said blood vessel is separated from the skin of the patient by a layer of tissue, where a tissue channel communicates between said puncture and the patient's skin and where a guide wire having proximal and distal ends extends at least from said puncture, through said channel, to the patient's skin, comprising (a) a tissue dilator having a front portion and a rear portion, (b) a dilator channel running through said dilator from said front portion to said rear portion, said dilator channel being adapted to receive therein and pass therethrough the proximal end of said guide wire, (c) an elongated hollow sheath having a distal end and a proximal end, said sheath being adapted to pass over said dilator, said sheath having a lumen running therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end, (d) a plug holder having a channel therein which communicates with said sheath lumen when said tissue dilator is removed, (e) hemostatic material which is retained within said plug holder channel prior to its insertion into said sheath, (f) means for inserting said hemostatic material into said sheath, (g) means for advancing said hemostatic material through said sheath, out of the distal end thereof against said vessel wall around said puncture.