Extra-vascular closure device with releasable sealing plug

A vascular closure device for sealing a vessel puncture of a patient, comprising:

• a sealant delivery device configured to deposit a volume of flowable sealant adjacent to a vessel puncture in a vessel;
• a detachable sealing tip assembly configured to seal a channel formed in the volume of flowable sealant upon removal of the vascular closure device from the patient, the detachable sealing tip assembly comprising:
• a carrier tube having a distal end;
• a sealing tip positioned at the distal end of the carrier tube, the sealing tip comprising a head portion, a body portion, and a planar stop surface, the head portion being integrally formed with the body portion as a single piece with the planar stop surface positioned between the head and body portions, the body portion being configured to be positioned inside the carrier tube while the head portion is positioned outside the distal end of the carrier tube and the planar stop surface abuts the distal end of the carrier tube, the sealing tip being detachable in its entirety from the closure device, wherein the head portion and the body portion are both detachable from the closure device, the head portion having a distally-facing end surface, the distally-facing end surface being oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the sealing tip, the planar stop surface being oriented at the non-perpendicular angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the sealing tip, the distally-facing end surface being configured to rest flush against an outer surface of the vessel;
• a cavity formed in the sealing tip, the cavity having a first opening and a second opening, the first and second openings being positioned proximal to the planar stop surface, the first opening being positioned in a laterally-facing surface of the body portion, the second opening being positioned in a proximally-facing end surface of the sealing tip;
• a filament having a distal end releasably connected to the sealing tip within the cavity through the second opening and a proximal end operable by an actuator to disconnect the sealing tip from the distal end of the filament within the channel.

A method of sealing a vessel puncture in a vessel of a patient, comprising:

• providing a vascular closure device having a carrier tube, a sealing tip, a sealing tip connection member, and an actuator, the sealing tip connection member extending from the sealing tip to the actuator, the carrier tube comprising a distal end with a distal end surface, the sealing tip comprising a head portion and a body portion, the sealing tip comprising a planar stop surface between the head portion and the body portion, the body portion being configured to be positioned inside the carrier tube while the head portion is positioned outside the distal end of the carrier tube and the planar stop surface abuts the distal end surface of the carrier tube, the sealing tip including the head portion and the body portion being detachable in its entirety from the closure device, the head portion having a distally-facing end surface oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the sealing tip, the planar stop surface being oriented at the non-perpendicular angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the sealing tip;
• advancing the vascular closure device to the vessel puncture;
• delivering a volume of flowable sealant to the vessel puncture;
• withdrawing a portion of the vascular closure device through the volume of flowable sealant to define a channel in the volume of flowable sealant;
• positioning the sealing tip in the channel with the distally-facing end surface of the sealing tip being flush against an outer surface of the vessel and with the sealing tip connection member positioned within a cavity in the sealing tip, the cavity having a first opening and a second opening positioned proximal to the planar stop surface, the first opening being positioned in a laterally-facing side wall of the body portion, the second opening being positioned in a proximally-facing end wall of the sealing tip, a distal end of the sealing tip connection member extending through the second opening;
• operating the actuator to release the sealing tip connection member from the sealing tip to seal the channel by withdrawing the distal end of the sealing tip connection member through the second opening of the cavity.

A method of assembling a vascular closure device, comprising:

• providing a sealing tip, a sealing tip connection member, an actuator, a handle, a carrier tube, and a sealant delivery device, the sealing tip having a cavity with first and second access openings, the sealing tip connection member having a connection portion at a distal end thereof, and the actuator being mounted to the handle, the carrier tube comprising a distal end surface, the sealing tip comprising a head portion and a body portion, the sealing tip having a distally-facing end surface and a planar stop surface, the planar stop surface positioned between the head portion and the body portion, the distally-facing end surface being oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the sealing tip, the planar stop surface being oriented at the non-perpendicular angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the sealing tip, the first and second access openings being positioned proximal to the planar stop surface, the first access opening being positioned in a laterally-facing surface of the body portion, the second access opening being positioned in a proximally-facing end surface of the sealing tip, the body portion being configured to be positioned inside the carrier tube while the head portion is positioned outside the distal end of the carrier tube and the planar stop surface abuts the distal end surface of the carrier tube, the sealing tip including the head portion and the body portion being detachable in its entirety from the closure device;
• inserting a proximal end portion of the sealing tip connection member into the cavity of the sealing tip through the first access opening and out of the cavity through the second access opening, the connection portion being releasably held in the cavity;
• inserting the body portion of the sealing tip into a distal open end of the carrier tube, wherein the planar stop surface of the head portion of the sealing tip contacts the distal end surface of the carrier tube;
• connecting the proximal end portion of the sealing tip connection member to the actuator;
• wherein the sealant delivery device is operable to deliver a volume of flowable sealant to a vessel puncture with the distally-facing end surface of the sealing tip positioned flush against an outer surface of a body vessel, and the actuator being operable to disconnect the sealing tip connection member from the sealing tip to deposit the sealing tip within the volume of flowable sealant.