×

Vascular filter

  • US 6,755,846 B1
  • Filed: 10/02/1998
  • Issued: 06/29/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A removable percutaneous vascular filter device for capturing micro-and macro-emboli while allowing continued perfusion of blood, comprising:

  • a guidewire comprising an elongate member having distal and proximal portions, the distal portion including a shapeable, tapered soft distal tip, an outside diameter, and a recess in the distal portion immediately adjacent the distal tip, the recess having distal and proximal ends, and a predetermined depth, the guidewire further comprising a central lumen;

    a filter comprising (a) a non-metallic, porous, flexible filter membrane having a distal portion and a proximal free end portion and (b) a filter membrane support structure extending from the flexible filter membrane distal portion to at least the flexible filter membrane proximal portion, wherein said filter membrane distal portion is pivotally attached to the guidewire near said distal end of the guidewire recess and wherein the filter membrane proximal free end portion is positioned in the recess substantially parallel to the guidewire when the filter membrane is in a collapsed state, the predetermined depth of the recess providing a space wherein the filter membrance lies adjacent to an inner portion of the elongate member when the filter membrane is in the collapsed state and has an outside diameter that is less than the outside diameter any portion of of the elongate member except for said recess and the distal portion of said distal tip; and

    deploying means operatively connected to the filter to cause filter membrane proximal free end portion to move from a position substantially parallel to the elongate member to a position removed from the longitudinal axis of the elongate member to cause the flexible filter membrane to form a substantially conical shape to form a generally sealing relationship with the wall of said vessel, the deploying means including a moveable core being slidably positioned in the central lumen and extending beyond the flexible filter membrane distal position and into the shapeable, tapered soft distal tip.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×