Flexible tamping device

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 filament connected at its distal end to an anchor and to a sealing plug located proximal of the anchor for disposition and anchoring about the tissue puncture;
• inserting the tissue puncture closure into the percutaneous incision;
• deploying the anchor into the tissue puncture;
• withdrawing the closure device from the percutaneous incision;
• automatically uncoiling a tamping device upon withdrawal of the closure device from the internal tissue wall puncture;
• reshaping a cross-section of the tamping device from a flat cross-sectional shape to a non-flat cross-sectional shape;
• tamping the sealing plug toward the anchor.

A method of treating a vascular incision, comprising:

• providing a vascular closure device having a filament, an anchor, a sealing plug, and an at least partially coiled tamping device, the filament extending from a first end to a second end of the closure device, the anchor attached to the filament at the second end of the device, the sealing plug slidingly attached to the filament adjacent to the anchor, and the tamping device having a distal end arranged adjacent to the sealing plug and a cross-section taken laterally through the tamping device;
• inserting the anchor through the vascular incision at a location distal of the vascular incision;
• withdrawing the vascular closure device to dispose the sealing plug proximal of the vascular incision;
• uncoiling the tamping device to compact the sealing plug toward the anchor, wherein uncoiling the tamping device includes changing a shape of the cross-section of the tamping device.

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

• withdrawing a closure device from the tissue puncture;
• automatically uncoiling a partially coiled tamping device to tamp a sealing plug toward the tissue puncture by transducing a motive force generated by withdrawal of the closure device in a first direction to a tamping force in a second direction;
• wherein the tamping device includes a different cross-sectional shape when coiled than when uncoiled;
• wherein the automatically uncoiling further comprises passing the tamping device through a shaper to alter the cross-sectional shape of the tamping device, wherein the altering stiffens the tamping device.

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

• withdrawing a closure device from the tissue puncture;
• automatically uncoiling a partially coiled tamping device to tamp a sealing plug toward the tissue puncture by transducing a motive force generated by withdrawal of the closure device in a first direction to a tamping force in a second direction;
• wherein the tamping device includes a different cross-sectional shape when coiled than when uncoiled;
• wherein the tamping device when uncoiled has a cross-sectional shape with a plurality of bends.

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 filament connected at its distal end to an anchor and to a sealing plug located proximal of the anchor for disposition and anchoring about the tissue puncture;
• inserting the tissue puncture closure into the percutaneous incision;
• deploying the anchor into the tissue puncture;
• withdrawing the closure device from the percutaneous incision;
• automatically uncoiling a tamping device upon withdrawal of the closure device from the internal tissue wall puncture;
• reshaping a cross-section of the tamping device;
• tamping the sealing plug toward the anchor;
• wherein the reshaping includes changing the cross-section of the tamping device from a flat cross-section to a folded cross-section.

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 filament connected at its distal end to an anchor and to a sealing plug located proximal of the anchor for disposition and anchoring about the tissue puncture;
• inserting the tissue puncture closure into the percutaneous incision;
• deploying the anchor into the tissue puncture;
• withdrawing the closure device from the percutaneous incision;
• automatically uncoiling a tamping device upon withdrawal of the closure device from the internal tissue wall puncture;
• reshaping a cross-section of the tamping device;
• tamping the sealing plug toward the anchor;
• wherein the tamping device includes at least one recess along its length, and the reshaping includes bending the tamping device at the recess.

A method of treating a vascular incision, comprising:

• providing a vascular closure device having a filament, an anchor, a sealing plug, and an at least partially coiled tamping device, the filament extending from a first end to a second end of the closure device, the anchor attached to the filament at the second end of the device, the sealing plug slidingly attached to the filament adjacent to the anchor, and the tamping device having a distal end arranged adjacent to the sealing plug;
• inserting the anchor through the vascular incision at a location distal of the vascular incision;
• withdrawing the vascular closure device to dispose the sealing plug proximal of the vascular incision;
• uncoiling the tamping device to compact the sealing plug toward the anchor, wherein uncoiling the tamping device includes changing a cross-sectional shape of the tamping device;
• wherein changing a cross-sectional shape of the tamping device includes folding the tamping device.

A method of treating a vascular incision, comprising:

• providing a vascular closure device having a filament, an anchor, a sealing plug, and an at least partially coiled tamping device, the filament extending from a first end to a second end of the closure device, the anchor attached to the filament at the second end of the device, the sealing plug slidingly attached to the filament adjacent to the anchor, and the tamping device having a distal end arranged adjacent to the sealing plug;
• inserting the anchor through the vascular incision at a location distal of the vascular incision;
• withdrawing the vascular closure device to dispose the sealing plug proximal of the vascular incision;
• uncoiling the tamping device to compact the sealing plug toward the anchor, wherein uncoiling the tamping device includes changing a cross-sectional shape of the tamping device;
• wherein changing a cross-sectional shape of the tamping device includes changing from a flat cross-sectional shape to a one of:
• a U-shaped, a V-shaped, or a closed polygonal shaped cross-section.

A method of treating a vascular incision, comprising:

• providing a vascular closure device having a filament, an anchor, a sealing plug, and an at least partially coiled tamping device, the filament extending from a first end to a second end of the closure device, the anchor attached to the filament at the second end of the device, the sealing plug slidingly attached to the filament adjacent to the anchor, and the tamping device having a distal end arranged adjacent to the sealing plug;
• inserting the anchor through the vascular incision at a location distal of the vascular incision;
• withdrawing the vascular closure device to dispose the sealing plug proximal of the vascular incision;
• uncoiling the tamping device to compact the sealing plug toward the anchor, wherein uncoiling the tamping device includes changing a cross-sectional shape of the tamping device;
• wherein the vascular closure device further includes a shaper positioned at the first end, a portion of the tamping device proximal of the shaper comprises a curved, flexible configuration, and a portion of the tamping device distal of the shaper comprises a straight, stiff configuration, and uncoiling the tamping device includes contacting the tamping device with the shaper to change the cross-sectional shape of the tamping device.