A vascular closure device (100, 500, 900) for closing a passage through tissue proximate to a blood vessel, the vascular closure device comprising: an elongated housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end adapted to be proximate the tissue; a first and a second engagement member releasably arranged with the elongated housing; a first and a second pusher rod arranged with the elongated housing and adapted to extend from the distal section of the elongated housing in a distal and radially outward direction, the first and the second pusher rod being adapted to deploy the first and the second engagement member, respectively, by pushing the first and the second engagement member into the tissue proximate to the blood vessel at a distance from each other to engage in contact and to become secured with said tissue, without engaging a wall portion of the blood vessel; a first and a second suture, the first and the second suture individually connected to the first and the second engagement member and routed into a lumen in a distal aspect of the vascular closure device; a retraction member arranged with the elongated housing and adapted to retract the first and the second suture to reduce the distance between the first and the second engagement member to close the passage through tissue proximate to the blood vessel, and said vascular closure device being characterized in that it further comprises a locking member arranged on the elongated housing, disposed about the first and the second suture and adapted to clench the first and the second suture in a retracted state, thereby creating a tissue lock, wherein the locking member comprises a preloaded self-retracting fixation ring, sleeve or coil with an interior passage which is disposed about the first and the second suture, which is sized to allow free movement of the first and the second suture with the fixation ring, sleeve or coil in an expanded state and which has an interior surface that is adapted to clench the first and the second suture when in a retracted state. an elongated housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end adapted to be proximate the tissue; a first and a second engagement member releasably arranged with the elongated housing; a first and a second pusher rod arranged with the elongated housing and adapted to extend from the distal section of the elongated housing in a distal and radially outward direction, the first and the second pusher rod being adapted to deploy the first and the second engagement member, respectively, by pushing the first and the second engagement member into the tissue proximate to the blood vessel at a distance from each other to engage in contact and to become secured with said tissue, without engaging a wall portion of the blood vessel; a first and a second suture, the first and the second suture individually connected to the first and the second engagement member and routed into a lumen in a distal aspect of the vascular closure device; a retraction member arranged with the elongated housing and adapted to retract the first and the second suture to reduce the distance between the first and the second engagement member to close the passage through tissue proximate to the blood vessel, and said vascular closure device being characterized in that it further comprises a locking member arranged on the elongated housing, disposed about the first and the second suture and adapted to clench the first and the second suture in a retracted state, thereby creating a tissue lock, wherein the locking member comprises a preloaded self-retracting fixation ring, sleeve or coil with an interior passage which is disposed about the first and the second suture, which is sized to allow free movement of the first and the second suture with the fixation ring, sleeve or coil in an expanded state and which has an interior surface that is adapted to clench the first and the second suture when in a retracted state.