and reduced sealing effectiveness application_number US 88059107 A description in accordance with one or more embodiments of the inventions a wound sealing apparatus and method are described herein in order to fully specify this preferred design various embodiment specific details are set forth such as the composition of the sealing material and apparatus for connecting the sealing catheter to already placed introduction sheaths it should be understood however that these details are provided only to illustrate the presented embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention a catheter or sheath may be described as being axially elongate in configuration the catheter further may be described as having a proximal end and a distal end the proximal end is that end furthest from the patient and closest to the person operating the instrument the distal end is that end closest to the patient or inserted first into the patient the proximal direction may be described as that direction further from the patient and the distal direction may be described as that direction closer to the patient from a given point of reference along the length of the catheter or sheath a lumen may be described as an axially elongate channel within a catheter or sheath the lumen may exit the sheath at the proximal or distal end or both or it may be sealed fig1 illustrates an introduction sheath 10 the introduction sheath 10 further comprises a sheath tube 12 a hub 14 a distal taper 16 a proximal sheath attachment point 18 and a central sheath lumen 20 fig1 further illustrates an obturator or dilator 40 inserted through the central sheath lumen.