Patent ID: 7828816

Claim:
A method for filtering emboli from blood flowing through a lumen defined by the walls of a vessel at a desired location in the vessel comprising: providing a guidewire; providing a filter element carried on a distal portion of the guidewire, the filter element having a distal end, the guidewire extending to at least the distal end of the filter element, the filter element being expandable from a collapsed delivery configuration when the filter is constrained to an expanded deployed configuration when the filter element is unrestrained, the filter element having a shape in the expanded configuration which forms a cavity having a proximally facing opening defined by a proximally facing lip; providing a plurality of retraction members, each retraction member having a distal end which engages the proximally facing lip and a proximal end connected to the guidewire and an intermediate portion between the proximal and distal ends; providing a retrieval catheter having a lumen sized to accommodate the guidewire and the retraction members, the retrieval catheter having a distal end; advancing the guidewire and filter element in its collapsed delivery configuration through the vessel until the filter element is located at the desired location; expanding the filter element to its expanded deployed configuration; filtering emboli from blood flowing through the vessel with the filter; advancing the retrieval catheter through the vessel distally along the guidewire while the filter element is in the expanded deployed configuration until the distal end of the retrieval catheter is distal of the proximal ends of the retraction members and the intermediate portions are drawn into the lumen of the retrieval catheter and the proximally facing opening of the filter element is substantially closed; and withdrawing the retrieval catheter, guidewire and filter element from the vessel.