Patent ID: 7704266

Claim:
A vessel filter comprising an integral member having a first region and a second region, the filter movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first region having a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter, the first region including a plurality of spaced apart elongated struts and a plurality of connecting struts extending at an angle from the elongated struts, adjacent connecting struts being joined to form closed geometric shapes only in the first region and at a proximal portion of the first region, the closed geometric shapes forming a ring about the filter and the filter devoid of closed geometric shapes proximal to the ring and distal to the ring, the second region forming a mounting region being flared to progressively increase in diameter in the second region to minimize contact with the vessel wall, the second region flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the filter portion, the second region including a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion, the second region being devoid of connecting struts, wherein the connecting struts are formed by a division of the elongated struts in the first region into two substantially equal connecting struts, the connecting struts having a width less than a width of the elongated struts along their length, the connecting struts joining to transition into elongated struts extending through the second region.