FILTERING AND REMOVING PARTICULATES FROM BLOODSTREAM

• US 20140257362A1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eidenschink, Tracee
• Application Number:
  US14/178,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2212 having a closed distal end, e.g. a loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2215 having an open distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/01 Filters implantable into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/016 made from wire-like elements

Abstract

A system and method to protect blood vessels from blockage by various debris. A vessel protector of the system may include a body formed from a filtering material, the body having a collapsed configuration and a tubular expanded configuration with an open proximal end and an open distal end, a first snare attached to one end of the body, and a first pull-wire connected to the first snare, whereby the exertion of a pulling force on the first pull-wire contracts the first snare and thereby closes the one end of the body.

Claims

1. A vessel protector, comprising:

a body formed from a filtering material, the body having a collapsed configuration and a tubular expanded configuration with an open proximal end and an open distal end;

a first snare attached to one end of the body; and

a first pull-wire connected to the first snare, whereby the exertion of a pulling force on the first pull-wire contracts the first snare and thereby closes the one end of the body.

2. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the filtering material is a mesh.

3. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the filtering material is a braided material.

4. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the filtering material is formed from a shape memory material.

5. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the first pull-wire is formed integrally with the first snare.

6. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the first pull-wire is formed separately from the first snare.

7. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the first snare is at least partially enclosed by one or more wraps.

8. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the filtering material is self-supporting.

9. The vessel protector according to claim 1, wherein the filtering material is not self-supporting, and the body includes a self-supporting frame for supporting the filtering material.

10. The vessel protector according to claim 9, wherein the first pull-wire includes the self-supporting frame.

11. The vessel protector according to claim 1, further comprising a multiplicity of loops on the one end of the body that collectively define a channel for the first snare.

12. The vessel protector according to claim 1, further comprising a multiplicity of loops along a length of the body that collectively define a channel for the first pull-wire.

13. The vessel protector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second snare attached to another end of the body; and

a second pull-wire connected to the second snare,

whereby exertion of a pulling force on the second pull-wire contracts the second snare and thereby closes the another end of the body.

14. The vessel protector according to claim 1, further comprising a hypo-tube extending from the distal end of the body to the proximal end of the body, the first pull-wire extending through the hypo-tube.

16. A vessel protector system, comprising:

a vessel protector having a body formed from a filtering material, the body having a collapsed configuration and a tubular expanded configuration with an open proximal end and an open distal end;

a snare attached to one end of the body; and

a pull-wire connected to the snare, whereby exertion of a pulling force on the pull-wire contracts the snare and thereby closes the one end of the body; and

a sheath movable relative to the body between a first position in which the sheath covers the body and holds the body in the collapsed configuration, and a second position in which the sheath uncovers the body and releases the body for movement to the expanded configuration.

17. The vessel protector system according to claim 16, further comprising a sleeve through which the pull-wire passes, the sleeve being positioned within the sheath when the body is in the collapsed configuration and being positioned outside of the sheath when the body is in the expanded configuration.

18. A method for protecting blood vessels during a medical procedure, comprising:

inserting a vessel protector system into a patient'"'"'s body, the vessel protector system including a vessel protector and a sheath, the vessel protector having a body formed from a filtering material and having a collapsed configuration and a tubular expanded configuration, the sheath being movable relative to the body between a first position for holding the body in the collapsed configuration, and a second position for releasing the body for movement to the expanded configuration;

positioning the vessel protector system adjacent an open end of at least one blood vessel; and

moving the sheath to the second position to deploy the body, whereby the body moves to the tubular expanded configuration covering the open end of the at least one blood vessel to filter blood passing through the body into the at least one blood vessel.

15. The vessel protector according to claim 18, wherein the hypo-tube has a distal portion, a proximal portion, and an elongated opening between the distal portion and the proximal portion, and the first pull-wire has a collapsed condition and a radially expanded condition, the first pull-wire projecting out from the elongated opening of the hypo-tube in the radially expanded condition.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

closing open ends of the body in the tubular expanded configuration;

moving the sheath to the first position to compress the body to the collapsed configuration; and

removing the vessel protector system from the patient'"'"'s body.