a sealing device 1 according to the present invention is schematically illustrated in fig1 a and b . the sealing device 1 comprises an inner member 2 and an outer member 3 , which are held together by an elongated retaining member 4 . the retaining member 4 protrudes from the inner member 2 , and extends through a hole in the outer member 3 . during the positioning operation of the sealing device 1 , the inner member 2 is positioned at an inner wall of a vessel , and the outer member 3 is then slid along the retaining member 4 into abutment against an outer wall of the vessel . according to the invention , the retaining member 4 is made from at least one polymer having a shape memory . such a shape memory polymer , which is amorphous or at least partially amorphous , is characterized by its so - called glass transition temperature in that the polymer undergoes a transition from a pliable , elastic state at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature to a brittle glass - like state at temperatures lower than the glass transition temperature . here , it could be noted that such a transition of a polymer is not exactly related to its glass transition temperature ; if , for example , a polymer being in its glass - like state for a long period of time is exposed to a temperature just below its glass transition temperature , the polymer will undergo a transition to a more elastic state . for the purpose of the present invention , shape memory polymers have a further interesting property . when a shape memory polymer is formed into a particular shape at a higher temperature , the polymer will “ remember ” this shape , such that when the polymer is cooled and forced into another shape , the polymer will assume its original shape upon heating to a temperature above the state transition temperature . examples of shape memory polymers may , for example , be found in the u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 388 , 043 and 6 , 160 , 084 . in the international application wo 2004 / 110315 is further described how an implantable stent , which comprises first and second layers of at least partially amorphous polymers , can assume a first shape at a first temperature and second shape at a second temperature . the contents of these three documents are incorporated herein by reference . returning now to fig1 a and b , the retaining member 4 , which is made from a shape memory polymer , was originally formed into the large diameter shape illustrated in fig1 b , and was then cooled and stretched to the smaller diameter configuration illustrated in fig1 a . when the sealing device 1 , being at a temperature below the transition temperature , is positioned at a vessel wall , the outer member 3 can easily slide along the retaining member 4 . when the sealing device 1 , and in particular the retaining member 4 , subsequently is warmed to a temperature which is above the glass transition temperature of the retaining member 4 , the retaining member will return to its original shape , i . e . the large diameter configuration shown in fig1 b . in this state , the diameter of the retaining member 4 corresponds to the diameter of the hole in the outer member 3 , which consequently is prevented from sliding along the retaining member 4 . in fig1 a , the hole in the outer member 3 has been depicted as having a diameter that is considerably larger than the diameter of the retaining member 4 . this is merely for illustrative purposes : in practice , the diameter of the retaining member 4 would initially only be insignificantly smaller than the diameter of the hole in the outer member 3 . correspondingly , without the presence of an outer member , a retaining member could expand to a diameter which is larger than the diameter of a hole in this outer member , to further increase the friction between the outer member and retaining member . it is also possible that the outer member 3 has been made from a shape memory polymer and formed in such a way that the hole in the outer member 3 contracts when the sealing device 1 is warmed to a temperature above the transition temperature . the transition temperature should be below the body temperature , i . e . below 37 ° c ., and preferably well below the body temperature in order to have a fast transition from the state shown in fig1 a to the state shown in fig1 b . the latter is valid for all the embodiments of the present invention . a second embodiment of a sealing device 11 according to the invention is illustrated in fig2 a and b . like the first embodiment described in conjunction with fig1 a and b , the sealing device 11 comprises an inner member 12 , an outer member 13 , and a retaining member 14 . here , the retaining member 14 is further provided with protrusions 15 made from a shape memory polymer . these protrusions 15 were originally formed into the radially protruding configuration shown in fig2 b , and were then cooled and forced closer to the body of the retaining member 13 , as is shown in fig2 a . when the sealing device 11 , being at a temperature below the transition temperature , is positioned at a vessel wall , the outer member 14 can easily slide along the retaining member 14 and over the protrusions 15 . when the sealing device 11 , and in particular the protrusions 15 , subsequently is warmed to a temperature which is above the glass transition temperature of the retaining member 14 , the protrusions 15 will return to their original configuration , i . e . to the protruding configuration shown in fig2 b . in this configuration , the outer member 13 is effectively prevented from sliding along the retaining member 14 . fig3 a and b illustrate a third embodiment of the present invention . here , a sealing device 21 comprises an inner member 22 , an outer member 23 , and an at least partly hollow retaining member 24 , such as a suture , in the interior of which an expanding spiral element 25 has been placed . the spiral element 25 , which is made from a shape memory polymer , was originally formed into the large diameter configuration shown in fig3 b , and was then cooled and compressed or stretched to the small diameter configuration shown in fig3 a . when the sealing device 21 , being at a temperature below the transition temperature , is positioned at a vessel wall , the outer member 23 can easily slide along the retaining member 24 . when the sealing device 21 , and in particular the spiral element 25 , subsequently is warmed to a temperature which is above the glass transition temperature of the spiral element 25 , the spiral element will return to its original configuration , i . e . to the large diameter configuration shown in fig3 b . in this configuration the friction acting between the outer member 23 and the retaining member 24 prevents the outer member 23 from sliding along the retaining member 24 . the previously described embodiments of a sealing device according to the invention were primarily directed to the locking function between an outer member and a retaining member . a reliable locking function is prerequisite for a reliable sealing function of a sealing device . in a fourth embodiment of the invention , which is depicted in fig4 a and b , the memory properties of an inner member 32 and an outer member 33 are more directly directed to the sealing function of a sealing device 31 . besides the inner member 32 and outer member 33 , the sealing device 31 comprises a retaining member 34 . the inner member 32 as well as the outer member 33 are made from a shape memory polymer , and were originally formed into the bulging configuration shown in fig4 b . the inner and outer members 32 , 33 were then cooled and flattened to the flat configuration shown in fig4 a . when the sealing device 31 , being at a temperature below the transition temperature , is positioned at a vessel wall 35 , the inner and outer members 32 , 33 come to a position where their inner sides are essentially parallel with the vessel wall 35 . when the sealing device 31 , and in particular the inner and outer members 32 , 33 , subsequently is warmed to a temperature which is above the glass transition temperature of the inner and outer members 32 , 33 , the inner and outer members 32 , 33 will return to their bulky configurations , i . e . to the configuration shown in fig4 b . in this configuration , the concave sides of the inner and outer members 32 , 33 face the vessel wall 35 ; and due to the non - planar shapes of the inner and outer members , the vessel wall is tightly clamped between the inner and outer members 32 , 33 . in other words , the shape memory property of the polymer from which the inner and outer members 32 , 33 are made provides an extra amount of clamping force , which thereby adds to the sealing capacity of the sealing device 31 . although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , also shown in the appended drawings , it will be apparent for those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications can be done within the scope of the invention as described in the specification and defined with reference to the claims below . it should in particular be noted that the different shape memory parts of a sealing device according to the invention could be made from more than one shape memory polymer , which preferably is biodegradable ( bioabsorbable ), and the shape memory polymers could be provided as layers , as , for example , suggested in the above - referenced application wo 2004 / 110315 . the invention is also applicable to the sealing of other types of holes or openings in the walls of bodily organs , such as atrial septal defects ( asd ) or patent foramen oval ( pfo ).
the invention relates to a medical sealing device for the sealing of a puncture hole in a vessel wall , and comprises an inner member , which is adapted to be positioned at an interior surface of the vessel wall , and an outer member , which is adapted to be positioned outside the vessel wall , the inner member and the outer member being held together by a retaining member , wherein at least one of said inner member , outer member and retaining member is made from at least one shape memory polymer .