Patent ID: 8197497

Claim:
A method for securing two suture portions extending from an opening in the body, comprising: positioning said two suture portions within a knot body; advancing said knot body to a location near tissue adjacent the opening by advancing a knot placement device to said location near tissue adjacent the opening, said knot placement device comprising an outer tube releasably holding said knot body, an intermediate tube concentrically and slidably disposed within said outer tube and having a length at least as long as said outer tube, and a push rod and a plug slidably disposed within said intermediate tube such that said plug is positioned distally of said push rod; using said push rod, advancing said plug alongside of said suture portions toward said knot body to fixedly secure said suture portions between said knot body and an outer surface of said plug by pushing said plug using said push rod; and using said intermediate tube, ejecting said plug and knot body fixedly securing said suture portions from said knot placement device by pushing said knot body using said intermediate tube.