Tissue puncture closure device with automatic torque sensing tamping system

A tissue puncture closure device for partial insertion into and sealing of a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision, comprising:

• an anchor for disposition on a distal side of the internal tissue wall;
• a sealing plug for disposition on a proximal side of the internal tissue wall;
• a filament connected between the anchor and the sealing plug;
• a torque sensing, torque multiplying transmission for automatically tamping the sealing plug along the filament distally towards the anchor.

A tissue puncture closure device for partial insertion into and sealing of a tissue puncture, comprising:

• an anchor for insertion through the tissue puncture;
• a filament extending from a handle to the anchor;
• a sealing plug slidingly attached to the filament adjacent to the anchor;
• a tamping assembly for driving he sealing plug toward the anchor, the tamping assembly comprising a planetary transmission.

A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision, comprising:

• providing a tissue puncture closure device comprising a carrier tube, a filament extending through the carrier tube to an anchor and to a sealing plug located proximal of the anchor for disposition and anchoring about the tissue puncture, the tissue puncture closure device also comprising an automatic tamping device;
• inserting the tissue puncture closure device into the percutaneous incision;
• deploying the anchor in the tissue puncture;
• at least partially withdrawing the closure device from the percutaneous incision;
• forcing the sealing plug through an outlet of the carrier tube;
• automatically sensing torque required by the automatic tamping device to force the sealing plug distally;
• automatically changing a gear ratio of the automatic tamping device in response to sensed torque.

A tissue puncture closure device for partial insertion into and sealing of an internal tissue wall puncture, comprising:

• a filament extending from a first end of the closure device to a second end of the closure device;
• an anchor for insertion through the tissue wall puncture attached to the filament at the second end of the closure device;
• a sealing plug slidingly attached to the filament adjacent to the anchor;
• a tamping device adjacent to the sealing plug;
• an automatic, two speed planetary transmission driven by the filament and operatively connected to the tamping device for advancing the tamping device toward the sealing plug.