Patent ID: 6712835
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: A61B,A61F,B21F

Abstract:
A system for filtering emboli from blood flowing through a lumen defined by the wall of a vessel comprising:a guidewire; a filter element carried by the guidewire the filter element having pores sized to filter the emboli from blood flowing through the filter element, the filter element having a distal end, the filter element being expandable from a collapsed delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration when the filter element is deployed in the lumen of the vessel, the filter element being collapsible from the expanded deployed configuration to a retrieval configuration for removal from the vessel, the filter element having a shape in the expanded configuration which defines a cavity having a proximally facing opening the proximally facing opening being larger than the pores and being of sufficient size to allow the emboli in the blood to pass through the proximally facing opening into the cavity when the filter element is deployed in the vessel, the guidewire extending at least to the distal end of the filter element; and a combined delivery/retrieval catheter defining a lumen extending therethrough and having a distal portion, the delivery/retrieval catheter sized to be accommodated within the lumen of the vessel, the lumen of the delivery/retrieval catheter sized to accommodate the guidewire and the filter element in its delivery configuration, the distal portion of the delivery/retrieval catheter being configured to accommodate the filter element in its retrieval configuration wherein the emboli is substantially contained in the cavity during removal of the retrieval catheter and filter element from the vessel.