Vascular closure devices comprising force management features and related methods

A method of vascular closure, the method comprising:

• providing a vascular closure device comprising a vascular sealing structure positioned on an elongate shaft, a carried slidably mounted to the elongate shaft, and at least one elastically deformable structure coupled between the carriage and the elongate shaft;
• positioning a vascular sealing structure through a vessel puncture and into a vessel lumen;
• applying an axial directed force the carriage;
• transferring at least a portion of the force applied to the carriage to the elongate shaft via the at least one elastically deformable structure;
• applying a pressure to an interior wall of the vessel lumen with the vascular sealing structure to seal the vessel puncture.

A vascular closure device, comprising:

• an elongate shaft;
• a vascular sealing structure positioned on the elongate shaft and configured to apply pressure to an interior wall of a vessel lumen;
• a carriage slidably mounted to the elongate shaft;
• at least one elastically deformable structure coupled between the carriage and the elongate shaft, the at least one elastically deformable structure configured to transfer at least a portion of a force applied to the carriage to the elongate shaft;
• a force indicator configured to indicate an amount of pressure applied to the elongate shaft.