Method of closing an opening in a wall of the heart
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a closure catheter, for closing a tissue opening such as an atrial septal defect, patent foreman ovale, or the left atrial appendage of the heart. The closure catheter carries a plurality of tissue anchors, which may be deployed into tissue surrounding the opening, and used to draw the opening closed. Methods are also disclosed.
1. A method of closing an opening in a patient, comprising:
providing a first tissue engagement structure and a second tissue engagement structure, each of said tissue engagement structures being connected to a suture, at least one of the tissue engagement structures being slideable relative to said suture;
delivering the tissue engagement structures to the opening;
engaging the tissue engagement structures with tissue adjacent the opening; and
sliding the first tissue engagement structure relative to the second tissue engagement structure along the suture to close the opening.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising advancing a retention structure along the suture to close the opening.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue engagement structures penetrate tissue.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue engagement structures engage the tissue on opposite sides of the opening.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue engagement structures engage the tissue inside the opening.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue engagement structures are delivered with a catheter.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue engagement structures are anchors.