Patent ID: 7618433

Claim:
A method for delivering an embolic protection filter, comprising the steps of: providing a filtering assembly, the assembly including an elongate shaft, a filter coupled to the shaft, and a sheath for delivering the filter, the sheath having a proximal section and a flared distal housing section; disposing a portion of the filter within the sheath so that a proximal mouth portion of the filter is partially collapsed and disposed within the housing section and so that a tapered distal portion of the filter, including a porous filter material, extends at least in part distally out of the housing section; advancing the filtering assembly through a blood vessel to a position adjacent a target site while the porous filter material extends at least in pan distally out of the housing section; and proximally retracting the sheath relative to the filter so that the filter emerges from the sheath and expands within the blood vessel.