Patent ID: 7972359

Claim:
A method of preventing ingress of material into the left atrium of a heart, comprising: providing a delivery sheath having a sheath proximal end, a sheath distal end, and said sheath having a lumen extending therethrough; said delivery sheath extending to the right atrium of the heart atrium; advancing the sheath distal end through an opening between the right atrium and the left atrium; providing an expandable cage, having a proximal end, a distal end, a plurality of supports extending therebetween, a first membrane provided at the proximal end, and a second membrane provided at the distal end, the expandable cage having a collapsed configuration to be received within the lumen of the delivery sheath, and an expanded configuration for deployment within the heart; said expandable cage being extensible from a first shorter configuration to a second longer configuration to accommodate motion on the left atrium of the heart; delivering the expandable cage to the left atrium of the heart through the delivery sheath; and expanding the expandable cage within the left atrium, the expandable cage when expanded positions the second membrane at the ostium of the left atrial appendage, wherein the second membrane prevents passage of embolic material from the left atrial appendage into the left atrium, and positioning the first membrane at an opening between the left atrium and a right atrium of the heart, where the first membrane substantially prevents passage of blood between the atria.