Patent ID: 7645296

Claim:
A catheter system comprising: a rapid exchange angioplasty catheter having a catheter shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, an inflatable angioplasty balloon mounted near the distal end of the shaft and a guidewire lumen that extends through the shaft from the distal end to a proximal guidewire port located on the shaft intermediate the angioplasty balloon and the proximal end of the shaft; an embolic protection device having a shaft with a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft of the embolic protection device extending through the guidewire lumen of the rapid exchange angioplasty catheter; and a linking device for releasably linking the rapid exchange angioplasty catheter and the embolic protection device together as a unit, wherein the linking device has a linked position in which the linking device links the catheter shaft of the rapid exchange angioplasty catheter and the shaft of the embolic protection device together and prevents relative longitudinal movement of the rapid exchange angioplasty catheter and the embolic protection device with respect to each other and a released position in which the catheter shaft of the rapid exchange angioplasty catheter and the shaft of the embolic protection device are released by the linking device to allow relative longitudinal movement of the rapid exchange angioplasty catheter and the embolic protection device with respect to each other.