Endovascular filter and method for use thereof
First Claim
1. An endovascular filter device, comprising:
- (a) a slender flexible elongate support member having a proximal end and a distal end adapted for insertion into and along the interior of a blood vessel; and
(b) a filter assembly including;
(i) plurality of flexible filter elements attached to a portion of said elongate member and spaced apart from one another therealong adjacent said distal end;
(ii) a flexible tubular porous stocking surrounding said filter elements and interconnected with each of them, said stocking having a mouth directed generally toward said proximal end of said elongate member; and
(iii) means for supporting stocking with said mouth open to receive a flow of blood and with said filter elements in a flow-receiving and filtering position within said blood vessel.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A filter useful in tubular organs of the human body, intended primarily for endovascular use during surgical procedures for removal of plaque and other treatment of stenoses in arteries, in order to entrap particles of plaque or other materials freed from the interior wall of an artery while permitting continued flow of blood through the artery during the procedure of treating the stenosis. Several filter elements are fastened in apart-spaced relationship with one another along a flexible elongate member and are large enough to require the entire flow of blood through the artery to pass through the filter elements. An open-mouthed tubular stocking of porous filter material encloses the filter elements and supports the periphery of each filter element. Successive filter elements, progressing in the direction of blood flow, pass only progressively smaller particles. In a preferred embodiment, the mouth of the stocking can be closed to retain particles of material within the filter as it is written from the artery after repair of a stenosis.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. An endovascular filter device, comprising:
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(a) a slender flexible elongate support member having a proximal end and a distal end adapted for insertion into and along the interior of a blood vessel; and (b) a filter assembly including; (i) plurality of flexible filter elements attached to a portion of said elongate member and spaced apart from one another therealong adjacent said distal end; (ii) a flexible tubular porous stocking surrounding said filter elements and interconnected with each of them, said stocking having a mouth directed generally toward said proximal end of said elongate member; and (iii) means for supporting stocking with said mouth open to receive a flow of blood and with said filter elements in a flow-receiving and filtering position within said blood vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of relieving a stenosis in an artery, comprising:
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(a) providing an endovascular filter device including a plurality of flexible filter elements attached to an elongate flexible guide wire and surrounded by a tubular stocking of flexible filter medium attached to said filter elements; (b) forming an opening in an artery in a location proximal of a stenosis and inserting said guide wire into said artery through said opening, with said filter elements and said stocking in a furled configuration; (c) extending said filter device into said artery until said filter elements and stocking have passed through and a predetermined distance beyond a stenotic portion of said artery; (d) thereafter unfurling said stocking and filter elements so as to deploy said filter elements across the interior of said artery; (e) thereafter enlarging the lumen of said artery by freeing pieces of material from the stenotic portion of said artery; and (f) entrapping said pieces of material thus freed from said stenotic portion within said stocking. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An endovascular filter device, comprising:
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(a) a slender flexible elongate support member having a proximal end and a distal end adapted for insertion into and along the interior of a blood vessel; and (b) a filter assembly including; (i) plurality of flexible filter elements attached to a portion of said elongate member and spaced apart from one another therealong adjacent said distal end; (ii) a flexible tubular porous stocking surrounding said filter elements and interconnected with each of them, said stocking having a mouth directed generally toward said distal end of said elongate member; and (iii) means for supporting said tubular stocking with said mouth open to receive a flow of blood and with said filter elements in a flow-receiving and filtering position within said blood vessel. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of relieving a stenosis in a blood vessel, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an endovascular filter device, including a slender flexible elongate support member having a proximal end and a distal end adapted for insertion into and along the interior of a blood vessel and a flexible tubular porous stocking surrounding a portion of said elongate support member, the stocking having a mouth directed generally toward said distal end of said elongated member, as well as a closed end surrounding said elongate member and located more proximally along said elongate member than the location of said mouth, and means for supporting said tubular stocking with said mouth open to receive a flow of blood; (b) forming an opening in a blood vessel in a location downstream of a stenotic portion thereof by reference to the normal flow of blood, and inserting said flexible elongate support member into said blood vessel through said opening, with said stocking in a furled configuration; (c) extending said filter device into said blood vessel until said stocking has approached to within a predetermined distance from said stenotic portion on a downstream side of said stenotic portion of said blood vessel; (d) thereafter unfurling said stocking so as to deploy said stocking within said blood vessel with said mouth of said stocking substantially in intimate contact with the interior of said blood vessel; (e) thereafter enlarging the lumen of said blood vessel by freeing pieces of material from said stenotic portion thereof; (f) entrapping within said stocking said pieces of material thus freed from said stenotic portion; and (g) reducing the diameter of said stocking to a reduced diameter by twisting said stocking about said flexible elongate support member prior to removing said filter from said blood vessel.
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32. A method of relieving a stenosis in a blood vessel, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an endovascular filter device, including a slender flexible elongate support member having a proximal end and a distal end adapted for insertion into and along the interior of a blood vessel and a flexible tubular porous stocking surrounding a portion of said elongate support member, said tubular porous stocking having an interior and including a plurality of flexible filter elements attached to said elongate support member and spaced apart from one another therealong within said flexible tubular porous stocking, each of said filter elements being interconnected with the interior of said tubular porous stocking, the stocking having a mouth directed generally toward said distal end of said elongate member, as well as a closed end surrounding said elongate member and located more proximally along said elongate member than the location of said mouth, and means for supporting said tubular stocking with said mouth open to receive a flow of blood; (b) forming an opening in a blood vessel in a location downstream of a stenotic portion thereof by reference to the normal flow of blood, and inserting said flexible elongate support member into said blood vessel through said opening, with said stocking in a furled configuration; (c) extending said filter device into said blood vessel until said stocking has approached to within a predetermined distance from said stenotic portion on a downstream side of said stenotic portion of said blood vessel; (d) thereafter unfurling said stocking so as to deploy said stocking within said blood vessel with said mouth of said stocking substantially in intimate contact with the interior of said blood vessel; (e) thereafter enlarging the lumen of said blood vessel by freeing pieces of material from said stenotic portion thereof; and (f) entrapping within said stocking said pieces of material thus freed from said stenotic portion.
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33. An endovascular filter device, comprising:
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(a) a slender flexible elongate support member having a proximal end and a distal end adapted for insertion into and along the interior of a blood vessel; and (b) a filter assembly including; (i) a flexible tubular porous stocking surrounding a portion of said elongate support member proximate said distal end and having a closed end attached to said elongate support member and a mouth directed generally toward said proximal end of said elongate support member; (ii) means for supporting said tubular porous stocking with said mouth open to receive a flow of blood in a flow-receiving and filtering position within said blood vessel; and (iii) selectively operable means associated with said mouth for closing said mouth about said elongate support member and twisting said stocking about said elongate support member to retain materials filtered from said flow of blood within said stocking, said selectively operable means including a drawstring interconnecting said elongate support member and said mouth, and means extending through said elongate support member for controlling said drawstring in order to close said mouth and twist said stocking about said elongate support member.
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Specification