Patent ID: 6676685
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An apparatus for closing a vascular puncture, which comprises:a housing having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis; at least two tissue engaging members disposed adjacent the distal end of the housing, the tissue engaging members deployable within the vascular puncture and cooperating to engage vascular tissue portions adjacent the vascular puncture, and being dimensioned and configured to arrange the vascular tissue portions to a desired orientation thereof; and at least two outer jaw members positioned radially outwardly of the tissue engaging members and adapted for relative movement from an open position to facilitate positioning of the jaw members with respect to the vascular tissue portions when in the desired orientation, to a closed position to at least partially approximate the tissue portions, at least one of the jaw members having a thermal transmitting portion adapted to connect to an electrical energy source to transmit thermal energy to thermally fuse the approximated vascular tissue portions.