Patent ID: 7141057

Claim:
A method of occluding a uterine artery of a female patient which includes a. providing a uterine artery occlusion device which has an elongated cannula with proximal and distal ends, at least first and second lumens extending within the elongated cannula, a first extendable member having a first distal end disposed within the first inner lumen, a second extendable member having a second distal end disposed within the second inner lumen, a blood flow sensor at the distal end of the cannula to facilitate location of the patient's uterine artery and the monitoring of blood flow therethrough; b. introducing the occlusion device with the patient's vaginal canal and advancing the device therein until the distal end of the cannula is adjacent to the patient's vaginal fornix; c. locating the patient's uterine artery by the blood flow sensor; d. extending the first extendable member onto a first location of the patient's vaginal fornix to invaginate the wall thereof at the first location on a first side of the located uterine artery with the first distal end distal to the located artery; and e. extending the second extendable member onto a second location of the patient's vaginal fornix to invaginate the wall thereof at the second location on a second side of the located uterine artery with the second distal end distal to the located artery; f. interpenetrating a length of ligation material through the invaginated walls of the patient's vaginal fornix at the first and second locations from the first and second distal ends of the first and second extendable members distal to uterine artery to occlude the uterine artery.