Patent ID: 7658747

Claim:
A method for capturing a cardiovascular implant that has been implanted previously at an anatomical site in a patient's body comprising the steps of: providing a medical device comprising a sleeve comprising a lumen, a distal end and a proximal end and an expandable component, wherein at least a portion of the expandable component is permanently joined to the distal end of the sleeve, the expandable component transitioning between a collapsed configuration wherein the expandable component is enclosed by the sleeve, and a deployed configuration wherein at least a portion of the expandable component that was enclosed by the sleeve while in the collapsed configuration expands to a size for capturing the cardiovascular implant upon extending beyond the distal end of the sleeve; advancing the medical device to an anatomical site in a patient's body where the cardiovascular implant has been implanted previously; and transitioning the expandable component from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration such that at least a portion of the expandable component that was enclosed by the sleeve extends beyond the distal end of the sleeve while the expandable component remains permanently joined to the distal end of the sleeve, thereby surrounding and capturing with the expandable component the cardiovascular implant that has been implanted previously.