Patent ID: 8118830

Claim:
A method for reducing emboli formation, comprising: providing a first medical device, the first medical device comprising an occlusion member associated with a distal end thereof; advancing the first medical device through a stenosis of a vessel to an occluding position that is distal the stenosis; activating the occlusion member of the first medical device at the occluding position to restrict fluid flow across the stenosis; providing an embolic protection filter having a collapsed state and an expanded state, the embolic protection filter comprising a polymeric filter membrane, a support structure supporting the membrane in the expanded state and a tubular element connected to the support structure and having an aperture for disposing the filter over a delivery device, wherein the embolic protection filter comprises a proximal inlet opening and a plurality of distal outlet openings, the outlet openings configured to allow fluid to flow through the filter but retain embolic material within the filter and the inlet opening is larger than any of the outlet openings; distally advancing the embolic protection filter through the stenosis, while the occlusion member is activated and fluid flow across the stenosis is restricted, to a filtering position that is distal of the stenosis but proximal of the occluding position; deploying the embolic protection filter at the filtering position from the collapsed state to the expanded state; and deactivating the occlusion member of the first medical device after deploying the filter.