Patent ID: 8821528

Claim:
A method of implanting and subsequently removing a vein filter in the inferior vena cava of a patient comprising: inserting through a vessel in either a first direction or a second direction a catheter having a filter positioned therein in a collapsed configuration so that wire sections of the filter are in a substantially elongated configuration, the filter having a center, a central longitudinal axis, a distalmost end and a proximalmost end; releasing the filter from the catheter to enable the filter to move to an expanded configuration, in the expanded configuration first and second mounting portions expand to a first diameter and first and second filter portions expand to a second smaller diameter, each of the filter portions being longitudinally axially spaced from each of the mounting portions and each filter portion expanding on opposing sides of the central longitudinal axis, the first filter portion being closer to the proximalmost end of the filter than the second filter portion and the first mounting portion being at the proximalmost end of the filter, the first mounting portion expanding on opposing sides of the central longitudinal axis with the first filter portion being closer to a center than the first mounting portion, and the first filter portion being closer to the proximalmost end of the filter than the second filter portion such that the first filter portion is positioned between the proximalmost end and the second filter portion, and the second mounting portion expanding on opposing sides of the central longitudinal axis and being at a distalmost end of the filter with the second filter portion being closer to the center then the second mounting portion such that the second filter portion is positioned between the distalmost end and the first filter portion, and the first and second filter portions being positioned adjacent the center and converging toward each other adjacent the center at a converging region and the first and second mounting portions being positioned further from the center, the wire sections converging at a proximal end and at a distal end of the filter so the mounting portions each terminate in a converged end, and the wire sections including a plurality of wires forming a series of loops having axially spaced apexes in the mounting portions and a series of loops having axially spaced apexes in the filter portions, the loops in the filter portions being axially spaced from the converging region; leaving the filter in the vessel for a period of time; inserting after the period of time in either the first direction or the second direction a single filter removal tool to engage at least one of the wire sections which form part of the mounting portions; and moving the tool in a direction opposite the insertion direction of the tool to move the filter towards the collapsed configuration and to remove the entire filter in the second direction.