Patent ID: 7883517

Claim:
A suturing device for suturing an opening in a vascular vessel, said device comprising: a proximal member including an elongate body having a needle channel therethrough sized to receive at least two hollow needles; a distal member configured to be inserted within a lumen of a vascular vessel, said member having a receptacle, wherein the receptacle is elongate, located therein; an intermediate member disposed between the proximal member and the distal member, said intermediate member defining a tissue receiving area and having a first opening providing a passageway to the needle channel and a second opening providing a passageway into the receptacle; a length of suture material having two needle engaging fittings, each of the two needle engaging fittings being positioned in the receptacle to engage at least one of the at least two hollow needles entering from the second opening, one of the two needle engaging fittings being disposed proximal to the other needle engaging fitting within the receptacle, wherein the two needle engaging fittings in the receptacle have differing cross-sectional diameters and are axially displaced from each other, a distal-most needle engaging fitting being smaller in cross-sectional diameter than a proximal-most needle engaging fitting, the receptacle in said distal member is being substantially in line with the longitudinal axis of said needle channel and the intermediate member deviates from the longitudinal axis.