Patent ID: 7556635

Claim:
A method for delivering and retrieving an expandable filter to a desired location in a vessel comprising: providing an introduction catheter having proximal and distal ends and a lumen; providing a retrieval catheter having proximal and distal ends and a lumen; introducing a first guidewire into the vessel; advancing the introduction catheter through the vessel over the first guidewire with the first guidewire received in the lumen of the introduction catheter; providing a second guidewire having proximal and distal ends, a distal region, and an expandable filter carried on the distal region; introducing the second guidewire and expandable filter into the lumen of the introduction catheter; advancing the second guidewire and expandable filter through the vessel in the lumen of the introduction catheter; expanding the filter at the desired location within the lumen of the vessel; removing the introduction catheter from the vessel; after the introduction catheter has been removed introducing a distal end of the retrieval catheter into the vessel; advancing the retrieval catheter through the vessel over the second guidewire to retrieve the filter; and removing the retrieval catheter, second guidewire and filter from the vessel.