Patent ID: 6461370
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: A61F,A61M,Y10T

Abstract:
A vascular filter guide wire for directing placement of a catheter with respect to a blood vessel lesion and filtering particulate matter dislodged by treatment of said vessel, said guide wire including:an elongated flexible core wire being insertable and steerable through a patient's vasculature to a position downstream of said lesion; a tubular flexible shaft disposed along said core wire; a collapsible filter being coupled at its distal end to said shaft and including a spring operable to radially extend said filter outwardly within said vasculature in order for said filter to trap particulate matter arising from the treatment of said lesion; said core wire including a filter housing for confining said filter in a closed configuration; an actuating mechanism operable to actuate said spring in order to radially extend said filter; and said filter housing is formed in a frusto-conical configuration and axially disposed on said core wire, said housing including an oversized-in-diameter mouth opening axially outwardly from said wire distal end, and a reduced-in-diameter collar radially fixed to said core wire proximate said distal end.