Patent ID: 8403976

Claim:
A percutaneous transluminal angioplasty device, comprising: an elongated catheter having proximal and distal ends and an outer side wall; treatment means attached to the catheter adjacent the distal end thereof for treating a stenosis in a vessel; a filter attached to the elongated catheter between the treatment means and the distal end of the catheter, the filter being collapsible for insertion of the distal end of the catheter into a blood vessel, and the filter being expandable to an expanded position to capture emboli released into a bloodstream by operation of the treatment means; wherein the filter comprises a movable ring portion movably attached to the catheter and a fixed ring portion immovably attached to the catheter such that the movable ring portion is movable relative to the fixed ring portion; wherein the movable ring portion is distal to the fixed ring portion; wherein the filter further comprises a plurality of elongated ribs extending longitudinally between and attached to the fixed and movable ring portions, and a filter mesh overlying a portion of the ribs; wherein the ribs are formed of a shape memory material that urges the ribs into a collapsed position; wherein the catheter further comprises a lumen and a port in communication with the lumen, the port comprising an aperture in the outer side wall of the catheter located distal to the fixed ring portion and proximal to the movable ring portion, and the lumen extending from a location proximate the proximal end of the catheter to the port; and an actuator wire having proximal and distal ends, the actuator wire extending through the lumen of the catheter, and the distal end of the actuator wire exiting the lumen of the catheter through the port, the distal end of the actuator wire being attached to the movable ring portion; wherein when the filter is in the collapsed position, pulling on the proximal end of the wire exerts a force on the movable ring portion in the proximal direction that moves the movable ring portion toward the fixed ring portion; and wherein movement of the movable ring portion toward the fixed ring portion causes the ribs to bow outward to expand the filter to the expanded position.