An apparatus for closing and sealing a vascular puncture is connected to
an energy supply such that heat is generated in, or thermally conducted
to, the tissue, thereby thermally fusing the vascular tissue together.
The method for closing and sealing a vascular puncture comprises applying
radio frequency or other energy to the tissue, the energy being
sufficient to thermally fuse the tissue together, thus sealing the
puncture. Embodiments of depth finding and guiding devices, as well as
blood vessel occluders, are also disclosed.