Patent ID: 6984219

Claim:
An apparatus to hydrate and deliver a pledget substantially adjacent to a blood vessel puncture site, comprising: a control tip including: a vent tube having a tubular shaft with a proximal end having a hub, a distal end, and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end; a control head on the distal end of the vent tube, the control head including an externally tapered proximal end portion, a distal end portion having a distal port, and a central portion between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion, the control head including a lumen extending between the distal port to the vent tube shaft lumen; a pledget pusher positioned around the vent tube shaft, the pledget pusher including a proximal end having a hub, a distal end having an enlarged portion, and a lumen extending longitudinally between the pledget pusher proximal end and the pledget pusher distal end, the inner diameter of the pledget pusher lumen being larger than the outer diameter of the vent tube; a delivery cannula positioned around the pledget pusher, the delivery cannula including a tubular shaft having a proximal end having a hub, a distal end, and a lumen extending longitudinally between the delivery cannula proximal end and the delivery cannula distal end, the inner diameter of the delivery cannula lumen being larger than the outer diameter of the pledget pusher; and a pledget hydrating device having a fluid handling tube to receive the control head, the fluid handling tube including: a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending between said first end and said second end; at least one fluid port located at said first end; and an enlarged portion at said first end having a larger diameter than said fluid handling tube lumen, wherein said fluid handling tube lumen extends over said distal port.