EMBOLIC PROTECTION DEVICE

• US 20070106322A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salviac Ltd. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Salviac Ltd. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brady, Eamon, Vale, David, Taylor, Charles, Maher, Padraig, GILSON, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,216,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22067 Blocking; Occlusion A61B2017/22054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0108 Both ends closed, i.e. legs gathered at both ends
• 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 2002/015 Stop means therefor
• 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 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0097 Harpoon-shaped

Abstract

An embolic protection device has a collapsible filter element (105) mounted on a carrier such as a guidewire (101). The filter element (105) collapses into the outer end of a catheter (118) for deployment and retrieval through a vascular system of a patient. The filter element (105) has a collapsible filter body with a proximal inlet end and a distal outlet end. The proximal inlet end has inlet openings sized to allow blood and embolic material enter the filter body. The outlet end has outlet openings which allow through passage of blood but retain embolic material within the filter body. After use, the catheter (118) is movable along the guidewire (101) to engage the proximal end of the filter element and close the inlet openings before sliding over the filter element from the proximal end to the distal end to progressively collapse the filter body on the guidewire (101) for retrieval. The filter element (105) may conveniently be mounted on a tubular sleeve (104) which is slidable and rotatable on the guidewire (101) between spaced-apart stops (106, 120) on the guidewire (101) which allows some manipulation of the guidewire independently of the filter when the filter is in use.

Claims

1. An embolic protection device, comprising:

a support element for delivery through a vascular system of a patient;

a foam filter element associated with the support element, the foam filter element being movable between a collapsed stored position for movement through the vascular system and an expanded position for occluding a blood vessel such that blood passing through the blood vessel is delivered through the filter element but embolic material in the blood is retained in the foam filter element;

the foam filter element comprising at least one channel or pathway that allows blood to flow through but restricts the embolic material from passing through.

2. The embolic protection device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel or pathway is a plurality of channels or pathways.

3. The embolic protection device Of claim 2, wherein the plurality of channels or pathways comprise channels or pathways oriented longitudinally and latitudinally along the foam filter element.

4. The embolic protection device of claim 3, wherein the filter element farther comprises a plurality of proximal inlet holes and a plurality of distal outlet holes,

the proximal inlet holes being 0.5 mm or greater in order to allow capture of large emboli, and the distal outlet holes being less than 300 microns.

5. The embolic protection device of claim 3, wherein the support element is a tubing substrate, wherein the foam filter element is bonded to the tubing substrate.

6. The embolic protection device of claim 3, wherein a distal end of the filter element is rounded to facilitate insertion.

7. The embolic protection device of claim 6, wherein a proximal end of the of the filter element is tapered to facilitate withdrawal.

8. The embolic protection device of claim 3, wherein a proximal end of the of the filter element is tapered to facilitate withdrawal.

9. The embolic protection device of claim 8, wherein a distal end of the filter element is tapered.

10. A method for providing embolic protection, comprising:

advancing an embolic protection device through a vascular system of a patient, the embolic protection device comprising a support element and a foam filter element associated with the support element, the foam filter element being movable between a collapsed stored position for movement through the vascular system and an expanded position for occluding a blood vessel such that blood passing through the blood vessel is delivered through the foam filter element but embolic material is retained in the foam filter element;

the foam filter element comprising at least one channel or pathway that allows blood to flow through but restricts the embolic material from passing through; and

engaging the foam filter element with a wall of the blood vessel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one channel or pathway is a plurality of channels or pathways.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of channels or pathways comprise channels or pathways oriented longitudinally and latitudinally along the foam filter element.

13. A method of making an embolic protection device comprising a support element for delivery through a vascular system of a patient;

a foam filter element associated with the support element, the foam filter element being movable between a collapsed stored position for movement through the vascular system and an expanded position for occluding a blood vessel such that blood passing through the blood vessel is delivered through the foam filter element but embolic material in the blood is retained in the foam filter element;

the method comprising;

removing material from the foam filter element to create at least one channel or pathway that allows blood to flow through but restricts the embolic material from passing through.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one channel or pathway is a plurality of channels or pathways.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the removal of material comprises machining the foam filter element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the machining of the foam filter element comprises laser cutting, freezing and machining, or lost wax machining.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the support element is a tubing substrate, and the foam filter element is bonded to the tubing substrate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonding of the foam filter element to the tubing substrate comprises mechanical, solvent, or adhesive bonding.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonding of the foam filter element to the tubing substrate comprises overmoulding the foam filter element to the tubing substrate.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonding of the foam filter element to the tubing substrate comprises extruding the foam filter element into the substrate.