Patent ID: 6068645
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61N

Abstract:
A filter system within a biological vessel comprising:a delivery catheter having a distal section, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end, wherein the at least one lumen has at least one opening at the distal end of the delivery catheter;a handle attached to the proximal end of the delivery catheter, wherein the handle has a cavity and wherein a filter deployment means is mounted on the handle;a retractable elongate element located inside the at least one lumen of the delivery catheter, said elongate element having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the filter deployment means is coupled to the proximal end of the elongate element;filter device means for filtering fluid within the biological vessel, wherein the filter device means comprises a bipolar electrode means and a filtering element, the filter device means being coupled to the distal end of the elongate element, the filtering element being made of shape memory material and being formed to have a pre-disposed shape which, when said filtering element is deployed, defines a filtering channel that extends radially outwardly so that a cross-sectional area of the biological vessel is essentially covered by a periphery of said filtering channel;the elongate element being adapted to be pushed outwardly distally from the handle, at a deployed state of the filter deployment means, so that the filtering element is fully deployed out of the at least one lumen of the delivery catheter and so that biological debris are trapped within the filtering element; anda RF current generator, wherein a RF current is delivered to the bipolar electrode means through a forwarding electrical conductor to a first electrode of the bipolar electrode means, and wherein the RF current returns from a second electrode of the bipolar electrode means through a returning electrical conductor to the RF current generator to form a complete circuit.