Patches and collars for medical applications and methods of use

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGS.
1-3, a vascular closure system 100 generally includes two components: a arterial closure device ("ACD") 105 and a deployment instrument 110.
The ACD 105 is slidably mounted to a vascular introducer 115 or other tubular device, such as a catheter, advanced over a tube section 120 of the introducer 115 using the deployment instrument 110, passed through a percutaneous opening 125, and placed through an arteriotomy 130 in a vessel wall 133 into a blood vessel 135.
The deployment tool 110 and the introducer 115 then are removed from the blood vessel 135 and out of the percutaneous opening 125.
Referring to FIGS.
4 and 5, the ACD 105 is generally compliant, tubular, and includes a first member 140, a second member 145, a connecting member 150 between the first member and the second member, and an optional extending member 155 that extends from the second member.
A longitudinal channel 160 passes between a first opening 165 in the extending member (or second member if the extending member is not present) and a second opening 170 in the first member 140.
The ACD 105 is formed of a tubular structure of sufficient length and thickness (e.
g.
, a single wall thickness of between 0.
005" and 0.
05", and more particularly between 0.
01" and 0.
02") that can be advanced over the introducer 115, and through the puncture site 125.
The ACD 105 has sufficient rigidity to be advanced through the puncture site 125 yet is compliant enough to be compressed onto itself by the natural elasticity of the vessel wall 133 after the introducer 115 is removed.
Moreover, the connecting member 150 can be configured to have a natural elasticity such that when it is no longer mounted over the introducer tube 120, it will return to its original smaller diameter state.
The ACD 105 may include, for example, longitudinal sections of the tube where the wall thickness is thinner (e.
g.
, connecting member 150) thereby creating creases or weakened areas that receive the vessel wall 133.
The creases would reduce the amount of compressive force required to collapse the tube onto itself