Vein filter

• US 20050165442A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Argon Medical Devices
• Original Assignee: REX Medical LP
• Inventors: McGuckin, James F. Jr., Thinnes, John H. Jr., Carter, Lindsay L., DeFonzo, Stephan A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,704,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2215 having an open distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0105 Open ended, i.e. legs gathered only at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• 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 2002/8483 Barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0016 with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/005 Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/008 paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0059 temporary

Abstract

A vessel filter comprising a first region and a second region wherein the filter is movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel. A first region has a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter and the second region is flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The second region includes a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion. The first region includes a plurality of spaced apart elongated struts with adjacent struts being joined.

Claims

1. A vessel filter comprising a first region and a second region, the filter movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first region having a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter, the first region including a plurality of spaced apart elongated struts and a plurality of connecting struts extending at an angle from the elongated struts, adjacent connecting struts being joined to form closed geometric shapes in the first region, the second region being flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the filter portion, the second region including a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion.

2. The vessel filter of claim 1, wherein the connecting strut extending from one elongated strut angles toward the connecting strut of an adjacent elongated strut and the connecting struts are joined at a joining region, and an elongated strut extends from each of the joining regions.

3. The vessel filter of claim 2, wherein in the second region adjacent struts are connected by interconnecting struts extending at an angle to the struts.

4. The vessel filter of claim 3, wherein in the second region the interconnecting strut extending from one strut angles toward the interconnecting strut of an adjacent strut to join the struts at a connecting region, the connecting region terminating in vessel engaging structure.

5. The vessel filter of claim 1, wherein the closed geometric shapes are substantially hexagonal shaped areas.

6. The vessel filter of claim 1, wherein the closed geometric shapes are substantially diamond shaped areas.

7. The vessel filter of claim 1, wherein the vessel engaging portion includes a vessel engaging hook at a terminal end of each elongated mounting strut.

8. The vessel filter of claim 1, wherein the connecting struts are formed by a division of the struts in the first region into two substantially equal connecting struts, the connecting struts joining to transition into elongated struts extending through the second region.

9. The vessel filter of claim 1, wherein the connecting struts of adjacent struts are joined at an intermediate region and further extend away from each other to join another connecting strut to form a second set of closed geometric shapes.

10. The vessel filter of claim 3, wherein the filter is formed from a laser cut tube and composed of shape memory material.

11. The vessel filter of claim 1, wherein connecting struts are joined at a joining region, and elongated struts extend from the joining region through the second region.

12. The vessel filter of claim 3, wherein the converging region terminates in a tubular portion and each of the elongated struts in the first region extends outwardly from the tubular portion.

13. A vessel filter comprising a first region and a second region, the filter being movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first region of the filter having a filter portion having a converging region, the second region of the filter having a mounting portion for mounting the vessel filter within the vessel, the first region including a plurality of elongated struts bifurcating into connecting struts extending in different directions such that the connecting strut of one elongated strut joins the connecting strut of an adjacent strut.

14. The vessel filter of claims 13, wherein the filter is substantially bell-shaped in the expanded position and the mounting portion has a flared portion having a larger transverse dimension than the filter portion when the filter is in the expanded position, such that a first terminal end of the filter has a greater transverse dimension than a second terminal end of the filter.

15. The vessel filter of claim 13, wherein the joined connecting struts extend to the second region to form mounting portion struts, the mounting portion struts bifurcating into interconnecting struts extending at an angle thereto wherein adjacent interconnecting struts are joined.

16. The vessel filter of claim 14, wherein the mounting portion includes vessel engaging hooks to enhance retention of the filter.

17. The vessel filter of claim 15, wherein the mounting portion includes vessel engaging hooks to enhance retention of the filter.

18. The vessel filter of claim 13, wherein the connecting struts further extend to join another connecting strut.

19. The vessel filter of claim 13, wherein the first region further includes a retrieval region, the retrieval region including a hook having a cutout exposing an internal annular surface, the annular surface dimensioned to receive a portion of a retrieval sheath.

20. The vessel filter of claim 15, wherein the first region further includes a retrieval region, the retrieval region including a hook having a cutout exposing an internal annular surface, the annular surface dimensioned to receive a portion of a retrieval sheath.

21. The vessel filter of claim 19, wherein the retrieval region includes a radiused region having first and second curved surfaces extending distally inwardly.

22. The vessel filter of claim 16, wherein the vessel engaging hooks include a first set of hooks and a second set of hooks, each set of hooks being positioned at an end of the mounting portion, the first set of hooks having a transverse dimension greater than a transverse dimension of the second set of hooks.

23. The vessel filter of claim 14, wherein elongated struts extend from a region where the connecting struts are joined and terminate in vessel engaging hooks.

24. A vessel filter comprising a first region and a second region, the filter movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first region having a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter, the first region including a plurality of spaced apart filter struts and connecting filter struts extending at an angle from the filter struts to join adjacent filter struts, the second region in the expanded position having a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the filter portion, the second region including a plurality of spaced apart mounting struts and connecting mounting struts extending at an angle from the mounting struts to join adjacent mounting struts.

25. The vessel filter of claim 24, further comprising a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion extending from a region where adjacent connecting mounting struts are joined.

26. The vessel filter of claim 25, wherein the first region further includes a retrieval region, the retrieval region including a hook having a cutout exposing an internal annular surface, the annular surface dimensioned to receive a portion of a retrieval sheath.

27. The vessel filter of claim 24, wherein the filter is formed from a laser cut tube.

28. A vessel filter comprising a body made from a single tube, the tube cut to create a plurality of elongated struts, the struts having an elongated region and first and second angled regions, the first angled region having interconnecting struts in a filtering region of the body to form closed geometric shapes, the second angled region having interconnecting struts at a mounting region of the body, and the region of the interconnecting struts in the filtering region having a transverse dimension less than the transverse dimension of the region having the interconnecting struts in the mounting region.

29. The vessel filter of claim 28, wherein cut tube further includes a retrieval region including a hook having a cutout exposing an internal annular surface.

30. The vessel filter of claim 28, wherein the cut tube includes vessel engaging hooks at the mounting region.