Offset proximal cage for embolic filtering devices

• US 20050075663A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John E. Papp, William J. Boyle
• Original Assignee: John E. Papp, William J. Boyle
• Inventors: Papp, John E., Boyle, William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/954,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075663A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/200
• 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 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0076 ellipsoidal or ovoid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites

Abstract

An expandable cage used in conjunction with an embolic filtering device has a strut configuration including a proximal strut assembly coupled to a distal strut assembly. A filter can be attached to the distal strut assembly which has an inlet opening. The proximal strut assembly is “offset” from the distal strut assembly in that these proximal struts extend substantially along the vessel wall of the patient, rather than being “centered” in the body vessel.,when the cage is expanded in a body vessel. As a result, there is little cage structure directly in front of the opening of the filter, resulting in a virtually unobstructed opening for the filter.

Claims

1. A cage for an embolic filtering device used to filter embolic particles from a body vessel, comprising:

a proximal strut assembly connected to a distal strut assembly which are movable between an unexpanded position and an expanded position, the distal strut 5 assembly having an inlet opening which expands and conforms to the wall of the body vessel when placed in the expanded position;

wherein the proximal strut assembly is adapted to extend substantially along the wall of the body vessel when placed in the expanded position.

2. The cage of claim 1, wherein the proximal strut assembly is adapted to be attached to an elongated member.

3. The cage of claim 1, wherein the proximal strut assembly is adapted to be rotatably attached to an elongated member.

4. The cage of claim 1, wherein a filter member is attachable to the distal strut assembly.

5. The cage of claim 1, wherein the proximal strut assembly includes a plurality of expandable struts each having a first end and a second end, the second ends of the struts being attached to the distal strut assembly and the first ends being adapted for attachment to an elongated member.

6. The cage of claim 5, wherein the distal strut assembly includes a plurality of expandable struts, wherein struts of the distal strut assembly are arranged to form the inlet opening of the distal strut assembly.

7. The cage of claim 1, wherein the proximal strut assembly includes a pair of self-expanding struts.

8. The cage of claim 7, wherein each strut of the proximal strut assembly has a first end and a second end, the second ends of the struts being attached to the distal strut assembly and the first ends being adapted for attachment to an elongated member

9. The cage of claim 8, wherein the struts forming the proximal strut assembly is made from a different material than the distal strut assembly.

10. An embolic filtering device used to filter embolic particles from a body vessel, comprising:

an elongated member;

a filtering assembly attached to the elongated member and movable 5 between an unexpanded position and an expanded position, the filtering assembly including an expandable cage and a filter member attached to the expandable cage, the expandable cage including a proximal strut assembly connected to a distal strut assembly, the filter member being attached to the distal strut assembly, wherein the distal strut assembly has an inlet opening which expands and conforms to the wall of 10 the body vessel to allow embolic particles to enter the filter member and the proximal strut assembly is adapted to extend substantially along the wall of the body vessel when placed in the expanded position.

11. The embolic filtering device of claim 10, further including means for rotatably attaching the proximal strut assembly to the elongated member.

12. The embolic filtering device of claim 10, wherein the elongated member is a guide wire.

13. The embolic filtering device of claim 10, wherein the proximal strut assembly includes a plurality of expandable struts each having a first end and a second end, the second ends of the struts being attached to the distal strut assembly and the first ends being adapted for attachment to an elongated member.

14. The embolic filtering device of claim 13, wherein the distal strut assembly includes a plurality of expandable struts, wherein struts of the distal strut assembly are arranged to form the inlet opening of the distal strut assembly.

15. The embolic filtering device of claim 10, wherein the proximal strut assembly includes a pair of self-expanding struts.

16. The embolic filtering device of claim 15, wherein each strut of the proximal strut assembly has a first end and a second end, the second ends of the struts being attached to the distal strut assembly and the first ends being adapted for attachment to the elongated member.

17. The embolic filtering device of claim 16, wherein the struts forming the proximal strut assembly is made from a different material than the distal strut assembly.

18. The embolic filtering device of claim 16, further including a segment of coil wire attached to and extending from the distal strut assembly.

19. The embolic filtering device of claim 18, further including an obturator attached to and extending from the distal strut assembly.

20. The embolic filtering device of claim 10, wherein the elongated member continues and extends through the length of the expandable cage to the distal end of the assembly and includes a distal tip coil that extends distally from the expandable cage.

21. A method for implanting an embolic filtering device in a body vessel of a patient for filtering embolic particles entrained in the patient'"'"'s body fluid, comprising:

providing a filtering assembly attached to a guide wire and movable between an unexpanded position and an expanded position, the filtering assembly including an expandable cage and a filter member attached to the expandable cage, the expandable cage including a proximal strut assembly connected to a distal strut assembly, the filter member being attached to the distal strut assembly, wherein the distal strut assembly has an inlet opening which expands and conforms to the wall of the body vessel to allow embolic particles to enter the filter member and the proximal strut assembly is adapted to extend substantially along the wall of the body vessel when placed in the expanded position;

maintaining the filtering assembly in the unexpanded position;

maneuvering the filtering assembly into the desired location in the patient; and

moving the filtering assembly into the expanded position.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the guide wire is used to maneuver the filtering assembly in the patient.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a retractable sheath is used to maintain the filtering assembly in the unexpanded position.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the retractable sheath is retracted to move the filtering assembly into the expanded position.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the proximal strut assembly has two self-expanding struts which extend along the wall of the body lumen when placed in the expanded position.