Patent ID: 8182481

Claim:
A patent foramen ovale closing device for closing a foramen ovale comprising: a suction and hold portion at a distal portion of a catheter for sucking and holding tissue of a foramen ovale valve and an atrial septum secundum from one side; an electrode portion on a side of the suction and hold portion which contacts the tissue of the foramen ovale valve and the atrial septum secundum; a negative pressure supply unit connected to the suction and hold portion for applying negative pressure to the suction and hold portion; a hold mechanism operable to protrude from a distal tip of the catheter through forward movement of the hold mechanism for insertion into the foramen ovale and to bend into a position to contact the foramen ovale valve from an other side opposite the one side and press the foramen ovale valve toward the atrial septum secundum; an energy supply unit connected to the electrode portion for supplying energy to the electrode portion; the foramen ovale valve and the atrial septum secundum being sucked and held by the suction and hold portion in a state in which the foramen ovale valve is pressed by the hold mechanism toward the atrial septum secundum as energy is supplied from the energy supply unit to the electrode portion to fuse together the foramen ovale valve and the atrial septum secundum; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the suction and hold portion and the electrode portion relative to the foramen ovale, the positioning mechanism comprising at least one elastic member and a sleeve body, the elastic member having one end operatively connected to an elongated operation member movably positioned in the catheter and an opposite end connected to the sleeve body which is movably mounted on the elongated operation member to permit relative movement between the sleeve body and the elongated operation member, rearward movement of the elongated operation member positioned in the foramen ovale causing the elastic member to outwardly expand into contact with an inner edge of the foramen ovale to position the suction and hold portion relative to the foramen ovale.