Patent ID: 8864793

Claim:
A vessel filter comprising a first cranial region terminating at a first end and a second caudal region terminating at a second end of the filter, the filter movable between a collapsed position for delivery to a vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first cranial region having a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward a center of the filter, the converging region converging into a tubular portion, the second caudal region forming a mounting region and being flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the filter portion, the second caudal region including a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion, the first region having a retrieval hook and a spacer, wherein in the collapsed position the spacer extends from the tubular portion in a cranial direction cranially beyond the retrieval hook and along an axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the filter in the collapsed position of the filter, the spacer being a single elongated strut and in the expanded position forms a loop extending radially from the tubular portion, wherein the spacer in the expanded position has a maximum transverse dimension less than a maximum transverse dimension of the filter in the expanded position.