IMPLANTABLE SELF-CLEANING BLOOD FILTERS

• US 20170086959A1
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeoSource SA
• Original Assignee: VeoSource SA
• Inventors: VERIN, Vitali, COQUOZ, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 10,213,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0105 Open ended, i.e. legs gathered only at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/018 made from tubes or sheets of material, e.g. by etching or laser-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/068 Modifying the blood flow model, e.g. by diffuser or deflector
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0043 L-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0023 differing in porosity

Abstract

A blood filter device having occlusion-resistant characteristics. The occlusion-resistant characteristics decrease the likelihood of the filter being blocked by thrombi. The filter device (252a, 252b) includes at least one anchor portion (42) for anchoring the filter device within one or more arteries (354a, 354b), and a filter portion (98) for filtering thrombi from the blood entering the artery. In some embodiments, an anchor portion is capped with a filter cap. In various embodiments, the filter cap is protrudes into the aorta to promote occlusion resistance. In one embodiment, the device can be modified in situ to re-establish normal blood flow through the artery in the unlikely case of thrombotic or other blockage of the filter. In some embodiments, a bypass opening or open channel defining an access port is provided to accommodate passage of surgical instruments into the artery and to enable blood flow to bypass the filter should the filter become heavily occluded.

Claims

1. A blood filter for filtering blood entering an artery, comprising:

a body defining a curved cylinder about a curved body axis, including;

an anchor portion defining a flow outlet port at a first end of said body and including a porous wall that defines a first porosity, said first porosity defining a first average pore size, said anchor portion being adapted to route a flow through said flow outlet port in a first direction; and

a filter portion that extends from said anchor portion and includes an elbow-shaped portion that extends lateral to said anchor portion and an extension portion that extends from said elbow-shaped portion, said filter portion including a porous wall that defines said first porosity and a second porosity, said second porosity defining a second average pore size, said second average pore size being less than said first average pore size, said porous wall of said filter portion being adapted to receive said flow from a second direction that is substantially normal to said first direction, said extension portion defining a second end of said body, said second end defining a bypass aperture,

wherein a superior face of said extension portion is adjacent said anchor portion and defines said first porosity, and an inferior face opposite said superior face of said filter portion defines said second porosity.

2. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said body portion comprises one of a bio-absorbable alloy and a bio-absorbable polymer.

3. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said body portion comprises a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, platinum, platinum-iridium alloys, nickel-cobalt alloys, nickel-cobalt-chromium alloys, nickel-titanium alloys, magnesium based alloys, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, and polylactic acid based polymers.

4. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said body portion comprises a nickel-titanium alloy.

6. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said porous wall of said anchor portion defines a porosity in the range of 80% to 95% inclusive.

7. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said porous wall of said body is a meshed structure.

8. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said first average pore size is in a range of 800 μ

m to 5000 μ

m inclusive and said second average pore size is in a range of 300 μ

m to 1000 μ

m inclusive.

10. The blood filter of claim 7, wherein said meshed structure of said filter portion defines a nominal open fraction of between 50% and 95%.

15. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said filter portion is dimensioned to extend from an ostium of a first artery to over an ostium of an adjacent artery.

23. The blood filter of claim 1, further comprising a centering hook structure coupled to said anchor portion that projects laterally outward from said anchor portion.

106. The blood filter of claim 1, wherein said bypass aperture faces proximally at an acute angle relative to said first direction.

5. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11-14. -14. (canceled)

16-22. -22. (canceled)

24-97. -97. (canceled)

98. A method for implanting a blood filter that includes a filter portion and an anchor portion, said filter portion including an elbow portion and an extension portion, said elbow portion depending from said anchor portion, said extension portion having a proximal end that defines a bypass aperture, said extension portion including a superior face that defines a first porosity and an inferior face opposite said superior face that defines a second porosity, said first porosity being greater than said second porosity, the method comprising:

disposing said anchor portion in a first artery of an aortic arch;

orienting said filter portion so that said bypass aperture is in a downstream direction of a blood flow in said aortic arch; and

positioning said blood filter so that said superior face of said extension portion of said filter portion is in contact with a wall of said aortic arch.

99. The method of claim 98, comprising orienting said extension portion of said filter portion so that said superior face at least partially covers an ostium of a second artery of said aortic arch, said second artery being adjacent said first artery.

100. The method of claim 99, wherein said first artery is an innominate artery and said second artery is a left carotid artery.

101. A blood filter, comprising:

an anchor portion; and

a filter portion including an elbow portion and an extension portion, said elbow portion depending from said anchor portion, said extension portion having a proximal end that defines a bypass aperture, said extension portion including a superior face that defines a first porosity and an inferior face opposite said superior face that defines a second porosity, said first porosity being greater than said second porosity.

102. The blood filter of claim 101, wherein said anchor portion and said filter portion comprises a shape memory alloy.

103. The blood filter of claim 101, wherein:

said anchor portion is substantially concentric about an axis;

a first tangential portion of said anchor portion being adjacent said superior face of said filter portion and defining said first porosity; and

a second tangential portion of said anchor portion being opposite said first tangential portion of said anchor portion and defining said second porosity.

104. The blood filter of claim 101, wherein said anchor portion defines said first porosity.

105. The blood filter of claim 101, wherein said extension portion of said filter portion extends at an angle of approximately 90 degrees relative to said anchor portion.