# US 9,039,738 B2 · Vascular sealing device with high surface area sealing plug > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,738 B2 - Document ID: US9039738B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/305,586 - Filed: 2011-11-28 - Published: 2012-03-22 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2003-12-03 - Assignees: St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC - Applicants: Catherine A. Pipenhagen; Kedar R. Belhe; John Avi Roop - Inventors: Catherine A. Pipenhagen; Kedar R. Belhe; John Avi Roop - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039738B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/0057: {Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect (sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009)} - A61B 17/00234: {for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence)} - A61B 17/0401: {Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors (A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811)} - A61B 2017/00592: {Elastic or resilient implements} - A61B 2017/00615: {Implements with an occluder on one side of the opening and holding means therefor on the other} - A61B 2017/00637: {for sealing trocar wounds through abdominal wall} - A61B 2017/00654: {entirely comprised between the two sides of the opening} - A61B 2017/00659: {located only on one side of the opening} - A61B 2017/00663: {the implement being a suture} - A61B 2017/00668: {the implement being a tack or a staple} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An internal tissue puncture closure method and apparatus. The method and apparatus provide a folded sealing plug that provides more surface area than conventional plugs to more fully cover and seal an external situs of an internal tissue puncture. The folded sealing plug may have a weave pattern that tends to cause the sealing plug to corkscrew into the internal tissue puncture as it is compressed toward an anchor placed inside of the tissue puncture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a vascular closure device, the method comprising: providing a vascular closure device having an anchor, a sealing plug, and a suture, the sealing plug having a plurality of holes, the suture extending through at least a portion of the plurality of holes; operating the vascular closure device to compress the sealing plug toward the anchor, wherein the suture compresses the sealing plug; wherein the sealing plug twists into a different shape as the sealing plug is compressed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vascular closure device further comprises a suture, and the sealing plug includes a plurality of holes through which the suture is routed, and operating the vascular closure device includes applying tension in the suture to compress the sealing plug. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vascular closure device comprises a suture, the suture extending through the sealing plug in a weave pattern, and operating the vascular closure device includes changing a shape of the sealing plug by applying tension in the suture. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing plug includes a first portion having a first plurality of holes, and a second portion having a second plurality of holes; the method including threading the suture through at least some holes of the first and second plurality of holes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein threading the suture includes threading the suture through the first plurality of holes, through the anchor, and through the second plurality of holes. ### Claim 6 A method of operating a vascular closure device, the method comprising: providing a vascular closure device having an anchor, a sealing plug and a suture, the sealing plug including a first plurality of holes and a second plurality of holes; threading the suture through the first plurality of holes, through the anchor, and through the second plurality of holes; applying tension in the suture to compress the sealing plug toward the anchor; wherein the sealing plug twists into a different shape as the sealing plug is compressed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second plurality of holes are positioned on first and second portions of the sealing plug, the sealing plug being folded to position the first and second portion of the sealing plug in contact with each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising folding the sealing plug longitudinally. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising folding the sealing plug laterally. ### Claim 10 A tissue puncture closure device, comprising: a suture; an anchor; a sealing plug comprising a first plurality of holes and a second plurality of holes, the suture extending through at least one hole of the first plurality of holes, through the anchor, and through at least one hole of the second plurality of holes; wherein the suture extends only once through any one of the first and second plurality of holes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tissue puncture closure device of claim 10, wherein the first and second plurality of holes are physically separated from each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The tissue puncture closure device of claim 10, wherein the sealing plug includes first and second portions in which the first and second plurality of holes are formed, respectively. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The tissue puncture closure device of claim 10, wherein the sealing plug is folded. ### Claim 14 A method of operating a vascular closure device, the method comprising: providing a vascular closure device having an anchor, a sealing plug, and a suture, the sealing plug including a plurality of holes through which the suture is routed; operating the vascular closure device to compress the sealing plug toward the anchor, wherein operating the vascular closure device includes applying tension in the suture to compress the sealing plug; wherein the sealing plug twists into a different shape as the sealing plug is compressed. ### Claim 15 A method of operating a vascular closure device, the method comprising: providing a vascular closure device having an anchor, a sealing plug, and a suture, the suture extending through the sealing plug in a weave pattern; operating the vascular closure device to compress the sealing plug toward the anchor, wherein operating the vascular closure device includes changing a shape of the sealing plug by applying tension in the suture; wherein the sealing plug twists into a different shape as the sealing plug is compressed. ### Claim 16 A method of operating a vascular closure device, the method comprising: providing a vascular closure device having an anchor, a suture, and a sealing plug, the sealing plug including a first portion having a first plurality of holes, and a second portion having a second plurality of holes; threading the suture through at least some holes of the first and second plurality of holes; operating the vascular closure device to compress the sealing plug toward the anchor; wherein the sealing plug twists into a different shape as the sealing plug is compressed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein threading the suture includes threading the suture through the first plurality of holes, through the anchor, and through the second plurality of holes. ### Claim 18 A method of operating a vascular closure device, the method comprising: providing a vascular closure device having an anchor, a sealing plug and a suture, the sealing plug including a first plurality of holes and a second plurality of holes; threading the suture through the first plurality of holes, through the anchor, and through the second plurality of holes; applying tension in the suture to compress the sealing plug toward the anchor; folding the sealing plug longitudinally.