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The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for sealing a puncture or incision formed percutaneously in tissue separating two internal portions of the body of a living being with an anchor, a sealing plug and a filament connecting the anchor and sealing plug. The method and apparatus

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for sealing a puncture or incision formed percutaneously in tissue separating two internal portions of the body of a living being with an anchor, a sealing plug and a filament connecting the anchor and sealing plug. The method and apparatus provide a magazine fed tamping system for automatic tamping and/or cinching of the sealing plug when the apparatus is withdrawn from the puncture site. The automatic tamping and/or cinching is facilitated by transducing a motive force generated by the withdrawal of the apparatus into a tamping and/or cinching force.

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1. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision, comprising: inserting a closure device into the tissue puncture, the closure device comprising a transducer and a tamping device stack having a plurality of separate tamping devices;withdr

1. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision, comprising: inserting a closure device into the tissue puncture, the closure device comprising a transducer and a tamping device stack having a plurality of separate tamping devices;withdrawing the closure device away from the tissue puncture;feeding the plurality of separate tamping devices laterally into contact with the transducer;advancing the separate tamping devices longitudinally by the transducer;automatically transducing a motive force generated by withdrawal of the closure device in a first direction to a tamping force on the plurality of separate tamping devices in a second direction with the transducer. 2. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 1 wherein the feeding further comprises biasing the tamping device stack with a spring in a magazine housing the tamping device stack. 3. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 1, further comprising applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug. 4. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 1, further comprising: applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug;transferring the motive force to one or more tamping devices of the tamping device stack, the one or more tamping devices comprising a rack slidingly disposed about a filament, the filament being connected to the sealing plug. 5. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 1, further comprising: applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug;transferring the motive force to one or more tamping devices of the tamping device stack, the one or more tamping devices comprising a rack slidingly disposed about a filament, the filament being connected to the sealing plug;wherein the transferring further comprises automatically unwinding the filament from a spool by deploying an anchor attached to the filament inside the tissue puncture, and withdrawing the closure device from the tissue puncture. 6. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 1, further comprising: applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug;transferring the motive force to one or more tamping devices of the tamping device stack, the one or more tamping devices comprising a rack slidingly disposed about a filament, the filament being connected to the sealing plug;wherein the transferring further comprises automatically unwinding the filament from a spool by deploying an anchor attached to the filament inside the tissue puncture, and withdrawing the closure device from the tissue puncture;wherein the transferring further comprises driving a gear train meshed with the rack and the spool via the unwinding. 7. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 1 wherein each tamping device of the tamping device stack comprises a rack; wherein the automatically transducing comprises rotating a first gear meshed with a magazine feed gear;wherein the feeding comprises: meshing a first tamping device of the tamping device stack with the magazine feed gear;moving the first tamping device linearly away from the magazine feed gear;urging a second tamping device of the tamping device stack laterally toward the magazine feed gear;meshing the second tamping device with the magazine feed gear;moving the first and second tamping devices linearly away from the magazine feed gear. 8. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 1 wherein each tamping device of the tamping device stack comprises a rack; wherein the automatically transducing comprises rotating a first gear meshed with a magazine feed gear and a tamper gear;wherein the feeding comprises: meshing a first tamping device of the tamping device stack with the magazine feed gear;moving the first tamping device linearly away from the magazine feed gear;meshing the first tamping device with the tamper gear;urging a second tamping device of the tamping device stack laterally toward the magazine feed gear;meshing the second tamping device with the magazine feed gear;moving the first tamping device linearly away from the tamper gear and the second tamping device linearly away from the feed gear. 9. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision, comprising: providing a tissue puncture closure device comprising a filament connected at its distal end to an anchor and to a sealing plug located proximal of the anchor for disposition and anchoring about the tissue puncture, the tissue puncture closure device also comprising an automatic magazine fed tamping device having a plurality of separate racks;inserting the tissue puncture closure device into the percutaneous incision;deploying the anchor into the tissue puncture;at least partially withdrawing the closure device from the percutaneous incision;automatically tamping the sealing plug toward the anchor upon withdrawal of the closure device from the internal tissue wall puncture with the automatic magazine fed tamping device, wherein the automatic magazine fed tamping device moves the racks laterally into contact with a magazine feed gear and the magazine feed gear moves the racks longitudinally to tamp the sealing plug;cutting the filament;leaving the anchor and the sealing plug at the tissue puncture. 10. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 9 wherein the automatic magazine fed tamping device comprises a stack of racks biased toward the magazine feed gear. 11. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 9 wherein the automatically tamping comprises: biasing the racks toward the magazine feed gear;unwinding the filament from a spool to rotate the spool;driving a first gear with the spool;driving the magazine feed gear with the first gear;driving two or more racks toward the sealing plug. 12. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision, comprising: withdrawing a closure device from the tissue puncture;feeding a tamping device stack to a transducer, the tamping device stack including a plurality of tamping devices;automatically transducing a motive force generated by withdrawal of the closure device in a first direction to a tamping force on the tamping device stack in a second direction;wherein each tamping device of the tamping device stack comprises a rack;wherein the automatically transducing comprises rotating a first gear meshed with a magazine feed gear;wherein the feeding comprises: meshing a first tamping device of the tamping device stack with the magazine feed gear;moving the first tamping device linearly away from the magazine feed gear;urging a second tamping device of the tamping device stack laterally toward the magazine feed gear;meshing the second tamping device with the magazine feed gear;moving the first and second tamping devices linearly away from the magazine feed gear. 13. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 12 wherein the feeding further comprises biasing the tamping device stack with a spring in a magazine housing the tamping device stack. 14. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 12, further comprising applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug. 15. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 12, further comprising: applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug;transferring the motive force to one or more tamping devices of the tamping device stack, wherein the rack is slidingly disposed about a filament, the filament being connected to the sealing plug. 16. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision, comprising: withdrawing a closure device from the tissue puncture;feeding a tamping device stack to a transducer, the tamping device stack including a plurality of tamping devices;automatically transducing a motive force generated by withdrawal of the closure device in a first direction to a tamping force on the tamping device stack in a second direction;wherein each tamping device of the tamping device stack comprises a rack;wherein the automatically transducing comprises rotating a first gear meshed with a magazine feed gear and a tamper gear;wherein the feeding comprises: meshing a first tamping device of the tamping device stack with the magazine feed gear;moving the first tamping device linearly away from the magazine feed gear;meshing the first tamping device with the tamper gear;urging a second tamping device of the tamping device stack laterally toward the magazine feed gear;meshing the second tamping device with the magazine feed gear;moving the first tamping device linearly away from the tamper gear and the second tamping device linearly away from the feed gear. 17. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 16 wherein the feeding further comprises biasing the tamping device stack with a spring in a magazine housing the tamping device stack. 18. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 16, further comprising applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug. 19. A method of sealing a tissue puncture in an internal tissue wall accessible through a percutaneous incision according to claim 16, further comprising: applying the tamping force in the second direction to a sealing plug;transferring the motive force to one or more tamping devices of the tamping device stack, wherein the rack is slidingly disposed about a filament, the filament being connected to the sealing plug.