Reversible vessel seal

Abstract

A vessel seal for reversibly sealing a body lumen comprise a support structure moveable between an insertion configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein a diameter of the support structure is greater in the deployed configuration than in the insertion configuration, a diameter of the support structure in the deployed configuration substantially corresponding to an inner diameter of a target portion of the body lumen at which the support structure is to be deployed and a compressible vessel seal coupled to the support structure so that, when the support structure is in the deployed configuration, the vessel seal expands within a central lumen of the support structure to occlude the body lumen. A method of controlling flow through a body lumen, comprises the steps of inserting into a target portion of a body lumen a vessel seal assembly in an insertion configuration, the vessel seal assembly including a support structure and a compressible vessel seal coupled thereto and moving the support structure to a deployed configuration in which the vessel seal expands within a central lumen of the support structure to occlude the body lumen, wherein a diameter of a support structure is greater in the deployed configuration than in the insertion configuration and a diameter of the support structure in the deployed configuration substantially corresponds to an inner diameter of the target portion of the body lumen.4r5

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.