Patent ID: 8398676

Claim:
A device for closing an opening in a wall of a body lumen, comprising: a closure element having a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration, the closure element comprising: a first flange configured to move between the delivery configuration and the deployed configuration, the first flange having a delivery cross-sectional dimension in the delivery configuration and a deployed cross-sectional dimension in the deployed configuration; a second flange configured to move between the delivery configuration and the deployed configuration, the second flange having a delivery cross-sectional dimension in the delivery configuration and a deployed cross-sectional dimension in the deployed configuration; a first coupler element disposed on the first flange extending in a first direction; and a second coupler element disposed on the second flange extending in a second direction, the first direction and the second directions being parallel but opposite, the first flange extending in the second direction in its delivery configuration and the second flange extending in the first direction in its delivery configuration, the first coupler element and the second coupler element configured to couple the first flange to the second flange, the first coupler element and the second coupler element being uncoupled in the delivery configuration, wherein the first coupler element further includes friction elements that resist relative movement between the first coupler element and the second coupler element, wherein the delivery cross-sectional dimension of the first flange is smaller than the deployed cross-sectional dimension of the first flange, the delivery cross-sectional dimension of the second flange is smaller than the deployed cross-sectional dimension of the second flange, and the delivery cross-sectional dimension of the second flange is smaller than the deployed cross-sectional dimension of the second flange, a first pusher that is operatively associated with the first flange to cause the first flange to move from the delivery cross-sectional dimension to the deployed cross-sectional dimension; and a second pusher that is operatively associated with the second flange to cause the second flange to move from the delivery cross-sectional dimension to the deployed cross-sectional dimension.