Patent ID: 7427288

Claim:
An embolic protection apparatus transformable between a collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration sealingly engageable with an inner wall of a tubular vessel of a human body, the apparatus comprising: an inner expander and an outer expander, each expander having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally oriented fingers, the fingers of each expander being conjoined at a first end of the respective expander and being radially expandable at a second end of the respective expander, the expanders being aligned opposite each other such that, in the collapsed configuration, the second end of the inner expander is disposed adjacent the second end of the outer expander; a deflector tube disposed within the outer expander, the deflector tube having a distal end aligned with and disposed adjacent the second end of the inner expander in the collapsed configuration, wherein the distal end of the deflector tube contacts and slides along an inner surface of the fingers of the inner expander to radially expand the embolic protection apparatus; and a flexible sleeve mounted about at least the fingers of the outer expander.