Tissue closure system

1. A method for closing an opening in tissue, comprising:

providing a staple having a plurality of tines and a longitudinal centerline, and a housing within which at least part of said staple is held, said housing having a fixed diameter;

advancing the entirety of said housing into and then through the vasculature to a location in proximity to the opening;

plastically deforming said staple to a splayed configuration such that the distal ends of at least two said tines are spaced apart from one another a distance greater than the diameter of said housing;

penetrating at least one said tine into tissue in proximity to the opening; and

plastically deforming said staple to a closed configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said holding comprises holding said staple at a location spaced apart from the distal end of said housing.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said holding comprises holding said staple completely within said housing at a location spaced apart from the distal end of said housing before said plastically deforming said staple to a splayed configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising registering the opening in tissue to said housing.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said registering includes

maintaining said housing substantially stationary; and

moving the tissue toward said housing.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said registering includes:

providing at least one butterfly member extending substantially distally from said housing;

inserting at least part of at least one said butterfly member through the opening in a collapsed configuration;

expanding at least part of at least one said butterfly member to an expanded configuration; and

moving at least one of said butterfly member in said expanded configuration and said housing toward the other.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

collapsing each said butterfly member in said expanded configuration to said collapsed configuration; and

withdrawing each said butterfly member from the opening.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pushing said staple in a direction angled relative to said longitudinal centerline after said plastically deforming said staple to a closed configuration, whereby said pushing releases said staple.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said direction is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal centerline.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the opening is in heart tissue.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the opening is a patent foramen ovale.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the opening is an atrial septal defect.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said advancing is performed with a steering catheter.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said advancing is performed along a guidewire.

15. A method for closing an opening in heart tissue, comprising:

providing a staple and a housing that holds said staple, wherein said housing has a fixed width;

moving said housing to a location in proximity to the opening;

registering said housing to the opening;

splaying said staple to a splayed configuration, wherein said splaying moves the distal ends of at least two said tines a distance further apart from one another than the width of said housing;

penetrating at least one said tine into heart tissue in proximity to the opening after said splaying; and

plastically deforming said staple to a closed configuration after said penetrating, wherein said plastically deforming substantially closes said opening.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said registering includes

providing at least one butterfly member;

advancing at least one said butterfly member through the opening;

expanding at least one said butterfly member; and

moving at least one of said butterfly member and said housing toward the other.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising viewing at least a portion of said moving with an imaging device.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said staple has two tines, and wherein said deforming said staple to a splayed configuration maintains said staple substantially in a single plane.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said staple has two tines, and wherein said deforming said staple to a closed configuration maintains said staple substantially in a single plane.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said housing includes at least one lateral opening defined in a side thereof; and wherein said plastically deforming said staple to a splayed configuration causes the distal ends of at least two said tines to extend outward from said housing through said at least one lateral opening.