Patent ID: 8734479
Filing Date: 2014-05-27
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A blood filter and delivery apparatus for delivering a blood filter into a blood vessel, the vessel having a wall and a centerline, the apparatus comprising: a) a blood filter including a plurality of filter members, a proximal filter end, and a distal filter end b) a catheter having proximal and distal ends, the distal end being a free end portion with an opening, the catheter having a catheter wall with an inner surface surrounding a catheter lumen; c) a filter positioning assembly situated with the filter within the catheter lumen to define a stored position, the filter positioning assembly including a plurality of positioner members, each of the plurality of positioner members having a distal end that is connected to one or more filter members of the filter within the catheter lumen in said stored position; d) wherein in said stored position, the filter is positioned closer to the filter opening than the positioning assembly; e) a pusher that engages the positioning assembly and filter inside the lumen in said stored position, wherein the positioning assembly and filter are movable from said stored position within the catheter lumen, to a preliminary dispensed position, and to a fully deployed position; f) wherein in said preliminary dispensed position, some of the filter members and some of the positioning members engage the vessel wall while at least a portion of some of the filter members remain inside the catheter lumen; and g) wherein in said fully deployed position all the filter members of the filter are deployed in the vessel by at least partially retracting the plurality of positioner members with the catheter.