Patent ID: 7442200

Claim:
A method for filtering emboli from blood flowing through a body vessel during therapeutic treatment at a treatment site in the vessel comprising: introducing an introduction catheter into the vessel; advancing an intravascular device carried adjacent a distal end of a guidewire through the vessel to a location distal to the treatment site while the intravascular device is contained within a lumen of the introduction catheter; removing the introduction catheter from the vessel; after the introduction catheter has been removed introducing the distal end of a treatment catheter into the vessel; advancing the treatment catheter over the guidewire to the treatment site; performing a therapeutic treatment at the treatment site, the therapeutic treatment including urging a stenosis radially outwardly to squeeze the stenosis against a wall of the vessel; filtering emboli released into blood during the therapeutic treatment with the intravascular device; after the therapeutic treatment has been performed introducing the distal end of a retrieval catheter into the vessel; advancing the retrieval catheter over the guidewire to retrieve the intravascular device; and removing the retrieval catheter, guidewire and intravascular device from the vessel.