Apparatus and method for sealing vascular punctures

• US 5,810,810 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Schankereli, Kemal, Holman, Thomas, Mische, Hans, Tay, Sew-Wah
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GILBERT, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US08/472,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 128/642, 128/898, 128/662.05, 128/662.06, 606/34, 606/37, 606/40, 606/41, 606/49, 606/50
• US Class Current: 606/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00504 Tissue welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00637 for sealing trocar wounds through abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0065 the implement being an adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0183 Rapid exchange or monorail catheters

Abstract

An apparatus for closing and sealing a vascular puncture is connected to an energy supply such that heat is generated in, or thermally conducted to, the tissue, thereby thermally fusing the vascular tissue together. The method for closing and sealing a vascular puncture comprises applying radio frequency or other energy to the tissue, the energy being sufficient to thermally fuse the tissue together, thus sealing the puncture. Embodiments of depth finding and guiding devices, as well as blood vessel occluders, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for percutaneously sealing a vascular puncture, said apparatus comprising:

a) an elongated member having a lumen therein and at least two electrodes connectable to a radio frequency power source, said electrodes being adapted to contact biological tissue at spaced points; and

b) said lumen being adapted to guide the electrodes to the biological tissue at said spaced points, said apparatus being adapted to thermally fuse together biological tissue surrounding said vascular puncture to effect closure thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the two electrodes are concentric with one another and concentric with said lumen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongated member comprises an elongated probe having a distal tip and a side surface, the first electrode forming the distal tip of the probe and the second electrode forming at least a portion of the side surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the two electrodes each have an arcuate shape, and the electrodes are spaced opposite of the lumen from each other.

4. A method of using radio frequency energy to close a vascular puncture comprising the steps of:

a) guiding a cautery device to the site of the vascular puncture, said cautery device comprising at least one electrode connected to a radio frequency energy source; and

b) activating the radio frequency energy source, thereby causing the tissue surrounding the puncture to fuse together.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the cautery device includes a lumen therein and is guided to the site of the vascular puncture by passing the lumen over a guiding element extending from the vascular puncture.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the cautery device is guided to the vascular puncture using a Doppler flow detection system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of guiding the cautery device to the vascular puncture comprises using ultrasound to guide the cautery device to the site of the vascular puncture.

8. A method of using radio frequency energy to close a vascular puncture comprising the steps of:

a) guiding a cautery device to the site of the vascular puncture using a Doppler flow detection system, said cautery device comprising at least one electrode connected to a radio frequency energy source; and

b) activating the radio frequency energy source, thereby causing the tissue surrounding the puncture to fuse together.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the cautery device has a distal portion and is equipped with the Doppler flow detection system on said distal portion.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein a guiding element equipped with a Doppler flow detection system is first guided to the vascular puncture aided by the Doppler flow detection system and the cautery device is guided to the site of the vascular puncture using said guiding element.

11. A method of using radio frequency energy to close a vascular puncture comprising the steps of:

a) guiding a cautery device to the site of the vascular puncture using ultrasound, said cautery device comprising at least one electrode connected to a radio frequency energy source; and

b) activating the radio frequency energy source, thereby causing the tissue surrounding the puncture to fuse together.