Patent ID: 6685727
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: A61B,A61P

Abstract:
A method for sealing an incision in an artery, comprising the steps of:inserting a guide wire through said incision; placing a lumen of an introducer sheath in receiving relation to said guide wire so that a leading end of said introducer sheath is guided to said incision by said guide wire; positioning said leading end of said introducer sheath into abutting and surrounding relation to said incision; providing a dehydrated tube formed of a preselected material that expands in response to a predetermined stimulus; pushing said dehydrated tube from a lumen of said introducer sheath so that a leading end of said dehydrated tube is disposed in abutting and surrounding relation to said incision; withdrawing said guide wire and said introducer sheath from said artery; providing a delivery catheter having an external diameter less than an internal diameter of said dehydrated tube and positioning a leading end of said delivery catheter in a lumen of said dehydrated tube; providing a dehydrated plug formed of a preselected material that expands in response to a predetermined stimulus; positioning said dehydrated plug in a lumen of said delivery catheter; pushing said dehydrated plug from said lumen of said delivery catheter into a lumen of said dehydrated tube; and withdrawing said delivery catheter; whereby said dehydrated plug expands within the lumen of said dehydrated tube when contacted by natural moisture within blood flowing through said artery; and whereby said dehydrated tube expands when contacted by said natural moisture within said blood and by natural moisture within tissue that surrounds said artery.