Patent ID: 8057505

Claim:
An embolic protection device comprising: a collapsible filter element for delivery through a vascular system of a patient; the filter element comprising a collapsible filter body and a filter support for the filter body; the filter body having an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end of the filter body having one or more inlet openings sized to allow blood and embolic material enter the filter body, the outlet end of the filter body having a plurality of outlet opening sized to allow through passage of blood but to retain undesired embolic material within the filter body; the filter support being movable between a collapsed configuration and an extended outwardly projecting deployed configuration to support the filter body in an expanded configuration; the filter support comprising a plurality of segments, at least some of the segments being interconnected by a strain distributing linking element; in the collapsed configuration, the strain distributing linking element defining a low-profile relative to a cylindrical shaped filter carrier, wherein the strain distributing linking element has a concave portion and, in the collapsed configuration, the concave portion faces radially inwardly to wrap around a part of the filter carrier.