Medical closure device

Abstract

Several alternative designs, structures, assemblies, treatment methods and/or methods of manufacturing medical closure devices adapted and/or configured for closing an opening, for example, an incision or a puncture in the tissue of a patient, for example, the dural membrane of a patient. Some embodiments include a medical closure device including an elongated tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis. The tubular member including a distal section and a proximal section, and the distal section is expandable from a first configuration to a second expanded configuration through the application of a compressive force upon the distal section along the longitudinal axis.

1 . A medical device for closing an opening in a tissue in a body of a patient, the device comprising: 
 an elongated tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis, the tubular member including a distal section and a proximal section, wherein the distal section is expandable from a first configuration to a second expanded configuration through the application of a predetermined compressive force upon the distal section along the longitudinal axis.    
     
     
         2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the distal section includes a plurality of portions, and at least one of the portions has a reduced column strength relative to other portions of the distal section.  
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the portion of reduced column strength is configured to create an outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion relative to the longitudinal axis when the predetermined compressive force is applied to the distal section.  
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 3 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and the outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion expands the outer perimeter of at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section.  
     
     
         5 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and when the distal section is in the first configuration, the outer surface of the distal section has a first sized outer perimeter, and when the distal section is in the second configuration, the outer surface of the distal section has a second sized outer perimeter greater than the first sized outer perimeter.  
     
     
         6 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and when the distal section is in the first configuration, the outer surface of the distal section is sized to have an outer perimeter that is adapted for insertion through the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient, and when the distal section is in the second configuration, at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section is expanded in size to have an outer perimeter that is greater than when in the first configuration.  
     
     
         7 . The medical device of  claim 6 , wherein when the distal section is in the second configuration, at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section is expanded in size to have an outer perimeter that is greater than an outer perimeter of the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient.  
     
     
         8 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal section defines an outer surface having an outer perimeter that is greater than an outer perimeter of the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient.  
     
     
         9 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated tubular member further includes an intermediate section connecting the distal section and the proximal section.  
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the intermediate section is configured to extend within the opening in the body of the patient between the distal section and the proximal section.  
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 10 , wherein the tissue in the body of the patient includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and the device is configured such that when the device is inserted into the opening to close the opening, the proximal section is configured to contact the outer surface of the tissue, and the distal section, when in the second expanded configuration, is configured to contact the inner surface of the tissue.  
     
     
         12 . The medical device or  claim 1 , wherein the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient comprises an opening in the dural membrane of the patient.  
     
     
         13 . A medical device for closing an opening in a dural membrane of a patient, the device comprising: 
 a tubular proximal section defining an outer surface having an outer perimeter;    a tubular intermediate section connected to the proximal section, the intermediate section defining an outer surface having an outer perimeter that is less than the outer perimeter of the proximal section; and    a tubular distal section connected to the intermediate section, the distal section being configured to be radially expandable from a first configuration to a second expanded configuration through the application of a predetermined compressive force upon the distal section.    
     
     
         14 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the proximal section is configured to contact the outer surface of the dural membrane, the intermediate section is configured to extend within the opening in the dural membrane between the proximal section and the distal section, and the distal section, when in the first configuration, is adapted for insertion through the opening in the dural membrane, and when in the second configuration, is configured to contact the inner surface of the dural membrane.  
     
     
         15 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the outer perimeter of the proximal section is configured to be greater than an outer perimeter of the opening in the dural membrane.  
     
     
         16 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein a tubular distal section is configured to be inserted through the opening in the dural membrane when in the first configuration, and is adapted to expand and close the opening when in the second, expanded configuration.  
     
     
         17 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the intermediate section is configured to extend within the opening in the dural membrane.  
     
     
         18 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the distal section includes a plurality of portions, and at least one of the portions has a reduced column strength relative to other portions of the distal section.  
     
     
         19 . The medical device of  claim 18 , wherein the portion of reduced column strength is configured to create an outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion relative to the longitudinal axis when the predetermined compressive force is applied to the distal section.  
     
     
         20 . The medical device of  claim 19 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and the outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion expands the outer perimeter of at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section.  
     
     
         21 . A method of closing an opening in a tissue in a patient, the method comprising: 
 providing an elongated tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis, the tubular member including a distal section and a proximal section, wherein the distal section is expandable from a first configuration to a second expanded configuration through the application of a predetermined compressive force upon the distal section along the longitudinal axis;    inserting the distal section through the opening in the tissue in the patient while the distal section is in the first configuration;    applying a predetermined compressive force to the distal section along the longitudinal axis to expand the distal section from the first configuration to the second expanded configuration.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the distal section includes a plurality of portions, and at least one of the portions has a reduced column strength relative to other portions of the distal section.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the portion of reduced column strength is configured to create an outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion relative to the longitudinal axis when the predetermined compressive force is applied to the distal section.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and the outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion expands the outer perimeter of at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and when the distal section is in the first configuration, the outer surface of the distal section has a first sized outer perimeter, and when the distal section is in the second configuration, the outer surface of the distal section has a second sized outer perimeter greater than the first sized outer perimeter.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and when the distal section is in the first configuration, the outer surface of the distal section is sized to have an outer perimeter that is adapted for insertion through the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient, and when the distal section is in the second configuration, at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section is expanded in size to have an outer perimeter that is greater than when in the first configuration.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein when the distal section is in the second configuration, at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section is expanded in size to have an outer perimeter that is greater than an outer perimeter of the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the proximal section defines an outer surface having an outer perimeter that is greater than an outer perimeter of the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the elongated tubular member further includes an intermediate section connecting the distal section and the proximal section.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein when the distal section is inserted through the opening, the intermediate section extends within the opening in the body of the patient between the distal section and the proximal section.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the tissue in the body of the patient includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and when the distal section is inserted through the opening the proximal section contacts the outer surface of the tissue, and when the distal section is expanded from the first configuration to the second expanded configuration, a portion of the distal section contact the inner surface of the tissue.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the opening in the tissue in the body of the patient comprises an opening in the dural membrane of the patient.  
     
     
         33 . A method for closing an opening in a dural membrane of a patient, the method comprising: 
 providing a closure device comprising a tubular proximal section defining an outer surface having an outer perimeter, a tubular intermediate section connected to the proximal section, the intermediate section defining an outer surface having an outer perimeter that is less than the outer perimeter of the proximal section, and a tubular distal section connected to the intermediate section, the distal section being configured to be radially expandable from a first configuration to a second expanded configuration through the application of a predetermined compressive force upon the distal section;    inserting the device into the opening while the distal section is in the first configuration such that the distal section extends through the opening, the intermediate section extends within the opening, and the proximal section remains outside of the opening; and    applying a predetermined compressive force to the distal section along the longitudinal axis to expand the distal section from the first configuration to the second expanded configuration.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the proximal section is configured to contact the outer surface of the dural membrane, the intermediate section is configured to extend within the opening in the dural membrane between the proximal section and the distal section, and the distal section, when in the first configuration, is adapted for insertion through the opening in the dural membrane, and when in the second configuration, is configured to contact the inner surface of the dural membrane.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the outer perimeter of the proximal section is configured to be greater than an outer perimeter of the opening in the dural membrane.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein a tubular distal section is configured to be inserted through the opening in the dural membrane when in the first configuration, and is adapted to expand and close the opening when in the second, expanded configuration.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the distal section includes a plurality of portions, and at least one of the portions has a reduced column strength relative to other portions of the distal section.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the portion of reduced column strength is configured to create an outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion relative to the longitudinal axis when the predetermined compressive force is applied to the distal section.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the distal section defines an outer surface, and the outwardly extending bend or fold in the distal portion expands the outer perimeter of at least a portion of the outer surface of the distal section.  
     
     
         40 . A medical device for closing an opening in a dural membrane of a patient, the device comprising: 
 a tubular member having a proximal section adapted to contact the outer surface of the dural membrane, an intermediate section adapted to extend within the opening, and a distal section adapted to extend through the opening; and    means for radially expanding the distal section from a first configuration to a second expanded configuration.