Vascular sealing apparatus

A medical sealing apparatus for sealing a blood vessel aperture in a patient, comprising:

• (a) a vascular introducer member comprising:
• (i) a thin, substantially straight body,
• (ii) a central lumen of a predetermined inside diameter in said body, and
• (iii) a side port communicatively connected to said central lumen, said side port being for introduction of a procoagulant to said central lumen and to the blood vessel aperture;
• and
• (b) a vascular sealing member adapted for insertion into and retraction from said central lumen of said vascular introducer member, said vascular sealing member comprising:
• (i) a thin, straight, elongated conduit having an outside diameter slightly less than said vascular introducer member central lumen inside diameter, and a central lumen, said conduit having proximal and distal ends, said outside diameter being substantially uniform from said proximal end to said distal end, said conduit end being insertable into the blood vessel aperture and having an inflation segment including an external orifice which is communicatively connected to said lumen;
• (ii) an expandable member sealingly disposed at said conduit distal end inflation segment, said expandable member being inflatable to a predetermined diameter;
• (iii) a seal consisting of an elastomeric material disposed in said conduit central lumen at said proximal end thereof, said seal permitting ingress and egress of fluid to and from said conduit lumen via a syringe.

A medical, vascular sealing apparatus for closing an aperture in a patient blood vessel, consisting essentially of:

• (a) a sealing member, consisting essentially of:
• (i) a thin, straight, cylindrical elongated conduit having a predetermined outside diameter, and a central lumen, said conduit having proximal and distal ends, said outside diameter being uniform throughout its entire length from said proximal to said distal end, said conduit distal end being insertable into the patient body aperture and having an inflation segment including an external orifice which is communicatively connected to said lumen, said inflation segment coaxially extending from conduit distal end;
• (ii) an expandable member sealingly disposed at said conduit distal end inflation segment, said expandable member being inflatable to a predetermined diameter;
• and
• (iii) an elastomeric sealing member for connection of said conduit lumen to an external inflation syringe, said sealing member being sealingly and adhereingly disposed in said conduit lumen at said proximal end thereof;
• and
• (b) a hemostasis valve-type introducer member having a body of a predetermined outside diameter and including a proximal hemostasis valve, a single longitudinal lumen in said body extending from and through said hemostasis valve and opening to an open distal insertion end, said lumen having a predetermined diameter which is slightly greater than said conduit outside diameter, said insertion end being adapted for location in the blood vessel aperture, a single, proximal, lateral fluid injection port communicatively connected to said introducer lumen, whereby said conduit is extended through said introducer lumen so that said expandable member is disposed outwardly beyond said introducer distal insertion end, said fluid injection port being adapted to receive procoagulant and distribute said procoagulant out said distal insertion end, and whereby said sealing member is slideable in said introducer member lumen throughout its entire length, including through said hemostasis valve, for proximal withdrawal of said introducer member over said sealing member without splitting said introducer member, so that the sealing member may remain at the vessel aperture.

A method for closing an aperture in a patient's blood vessel;

• comprising the steps of:
• a. positioning a vascular introducer member in the patient's blood vessel aperture, said introducer member comprising:
• (i) a thin, substantially straight body with an open proximal end and an open distal end,
• (ii) a central lumen of a predetermined inside diameter, disposed in said body, and
• (iii) a side port communicatively connected to said central lumen;
• said body distal end being disposed in the patient's blood vessel;
• b. engaging a medical, vascular sealing member with said introducer member, said sealing member comprising:
• (i) a thin, elongated conduit having an outside diameter slightly less than said introducer member central lumen inside diameter, and a central lumen, said conduit having proximal and distal ends, said outside diameter being uniform from said proximal end to said distal end, said conduit distal end being insertable into the patient body aperture and having an inflation segment including an external orifice which is communicatively connected to said lumen;
• (ii) an expandable member sealingly disposed at said conduit distal end inflation segment, said expandable member being inflatable to a predetermined diameter;
• and
• (iii) a seal consisting of an elastomeric material disposed in said conduit central lumen at said proximal end;
• said sealing member being inserted into said introducer member proximal end through said introducer member lumen and into the blood vessel aperture extending said conduit through said introducer lumen so that said expandable member is disposed outwardly beyond said introducer distal end;
• c. inflating said expandable member by piercing said elastomeric seal with a syringe and injecting fluid therefrom;
• d. moving said sealing member conduit through said introducer member lumen to bring said expandable member into contact with the blood vessel aperture;
• e. depositing procoagulant at said patient blood vessel aperture for rapid closure by introducing procoagulant into said introducer member lumen though said introducer member side port and distributing said procoagulant out said distal end thereof while said sealing member expandable member is still inflated;
• f. disengaging said sealing member from said introducer member by proximally sliding said introducer member over the entire length of said sealing member, including said proximal end thereof, so that the sealing member remains alone in the vessel aperture until the aperture is closed;
• and
• g. removing said sealing member.