Vascular filter system

• US 20030060844A1
• Filed: 07/19/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health Switzerland 515 GmbH (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Corporation (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Welch, Jeffrey, Sutton, Gregg S., Maciejewski, Mark, Borillo, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,399,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22 Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on the inside of inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; Calculus removers; Calculus smashing apparatus; Apparatus for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/016 made from wire-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0067 conical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0071 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09125 Device for locking a guide wire in a fixed position with respect to the catheter or the human body

Abstract

A removable vascular filter system for capture and retrieval of emboli while allowing continuous perfusion of blood, comprising a porous filter membrane and a filter membrane support structure. This system is useful for any percutaneous angioplasty, stenting, thrombolysis or tissue ablation procedure. The system may minimize the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction or other clinical complications that may be associated with these procedures.

Claims

1. A removable percutaneous vascular filter system for blocking emboli in a vessel while allowing continued perfusion of blood comprising:

a guidewire having distal and proximal ends,

a filter comprising (a) a non-metallic, porous, filter membrane having a distal portion and a proximal free end portion, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns, and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to the flexible filter membrane proximal portion, wherein said filter membrane distal portion is pivotally attached to the guidewire near said distal end of the guidewire and wherein the filter membrane proximal free end portion is substantially parallel to the guidewire in its collapsed state; and

deploying means operatively connected to the filter to cause the filter membrane proximal free end portion to move from a position substantially parallel to the guidewire to a position removed from the longitudinal axis of the guidewire to cause the flexible filter member to form a substantially conical shape, and to form a generally sealing relationship with the wall of said vessel.

2. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 1, further comprising an infusion catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, and at least one infusion hole for causing medication to be delivered to a site, with said infusion catheter coaxially disposed around said guidewire, and said at least one infusion hole positioned proximal to said filter.

3. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 1, further comprising a balloon catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, and at least one lumen, the proximal end having a hub comprising first and second ports, and the distal end comprising an inflatable balloon, with said balloon catheter coaxially disposed around said guidewire, and said inflatable balloon positioned proximal to said filter.

4. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 3, further comprising a stent coaxially disposed around said inflatable balloon.

5. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 4, wherein said balloon catheter is a rapid exchange balloon catheter.

6. A percutaneous vascular filter system comprising:

a guidewire having proximal and distal ends;

a filter arranged around said guidewire, said filter (a) a non-metallic, porous, filter membrane having a distal portion and a proximal free end portion, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns, and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to the flexible filter membrane proximal portion, wherein the flexible membrane distal portion is pivotally attached to the guidewire adjacent its distal end and the proximal end of the filter is attached to the guidewire; and

a sheath arranged around said guidewire and having proximal and distal ends, the distal end of the sheath having a lumen of sufficient diameter to slide over the proximal portion of the filter.

7. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 6, further comprising an infusion catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, and at least one infusion hole for causing medication to be delivered to a site, with said infusion catheter coaxially disposed around said guidewire, and said at least one infusion hole positioned proximal to said filter.

8. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 6, further comprising a balloon catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, and at least one lumen, the proximal end having a hub comprising first and second ports, and the distal end comprising an inflatable balloon, with said balloon catheter coaxially disposed around said guidewire, and said inflatable balloon positioned proximal to said filter.

9. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 8, further comprising a stent coaxially disposed around said inflatable balloon.

10. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 9, wherein said balloon catheter is a rapid exchange balloon catheter.

11. A removable percutaneous vascular filter system for blocking emboli in a vessel while allowing continued perfusion of blood, comprising:

a guidewire having distal and proximal ends;

a filter comprising (a) a non-metallic, porous, filter membrane having a proximal portion and a distal free end portion, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns, and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to the flexible filter membrane proximal portion, wherein said filter membrane support structure is pivotally attached to the guidewire near said distal end of the guidewire and wherein the filter membrane distal free end portion is substantially parallel to the guidewire in its collapsed state; and

deploying means operatively connected to the filter to cause the filter membrane proximal free end portion to move from a position substantially parallel to the guidewire to a position removed from the longitudinal axis of the guidewire to cause the flexible filter member to form a substantially conical shape, and to form a generally sealing relationship with the wall of said vessel.

12. The removable percutaneous vascular system of claim 11, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is variable.

13. A removable percutaneous vascular filter system for blocking emboli in a vessel while allowing continued perfusion of blood, comprising:

a guidewire having distal and proximal ends;

a filter comprising (a) a non-metallic, porous, filter membrane having a proximal portion and a distal free end portion, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns, and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to the flexible filter membrane proximal portion, wherein said filter membrane support structure is pivotally attached to the guidewire near said distal end of the guidewire and wherein the filter membrane distal free end portion is substantially parallel to the guidewire in its collapsed state; and

a sheath concentrically arranged around said guidewire and having proximal and distal ends, the distal end of the sheath having a lumen of sufficient diameter to slide over the proximal portion of the filter.

14. The removable percutaneous vascular filter system of claim 13, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is variable.

15. An improved device for use with a catheter for ablation within the body, wherein the catheter has a proximal end and distal end, and an outer surface, said distal end having ablative capability, the improvement comprising a distally facing, porous, filter membrane and filter membrane support structure arranged on the outer surface of the catheter proximal to its distal end.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the catheter has an outer sheath arranged thereon, which outer sheath can be advanced distally to collapse the filter.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the distally facing, porous filter membrane comprises pores with diameters in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns.

21. The improved device of claim 15, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is variable.

18. An improved device for use with a infusion catheter for causing medication to be delivered to a thrombus, the improvement comprising:

a vascular filter positioned distal to said infusion catheter;

said vascular filter comprising a guidewire having distal and proximal ends, with said infusion catheter coaxially disposed around said guidewire;

said vascular filter further comprising (a) a non-metallic, porous filter membrane having a distal portion and a proximal free end portion, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns, and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to the flexible filter membrane proximal portion, and deploying means operatively connected to the filter to cause the filter membrane support structure to form a substantially conical shape, and to form a generally sealing relationship with the wall of said vessel.

22. The improved device of claim 18, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is variable.

19. An improved device for use with a balloon catheter, the improvement comprising:

a vascular filter positioned distal to said balloon catheter;

said vascular filter comprising a guidewire having distal and proximal ends, with said balloon catheter coaxially disposed around said guidewire;

said vascular filter further comprising (a) a non-metallic, porous filter membrane having a distal portion and a proximal free end portion, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns, and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to the flexible membrane proximal portion, and deploying means operatively connected to the filter to cause the filter membrane support structure to form a substantially conical shape, and to form a generally sealing relationship with the wall of said vessel.

23. The improved device of claim 19, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is variable.

20. An improved device for use with a stent delivery system, the improvement comprising:

a vascular filter positioned distal to said stent delivery system;

said vascular filter comprising a guidewire having distal and proximal ends, with said stent delivery system coaxially disposed around said guidewire;

said vascular filter further comprising (a) a non-metallic, porous filter membrane having a distal portion and a proximal free end portion, wherein the pore size of the porous filter membrane is in the range of from about 20 to about 300 microns, and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to the flexible filter membrane proximal portion, and deploying means operatively connected to the filter to cause the filter membrane support structure to form a substantially conical shape, and to form a generally sealing relationship with the wall of said vessel.

24. The improved device of claim 20, wherein the size of the porous filter membrane is variable.