Methods and devices for filtering fluid flow through a body structure

• US 6,890,341 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Concentric Medical, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Dieck, Martin S., Martin, Brian B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/163,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200, 606/191, 606/192, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198, 606/189, 604/96.01, 608/189, 623 11- 123
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0105 Open ended, i.e. legs gathered only at one side
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• 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 2250/0039 differing in diameter

Abstract

An intravascular filter having a filament which expands a filter element. The filament is a coil which is stretched to reduce the diameter of the coil for introduction. The filter element is preferably biased toward the closed position and is opened by the coil when tension is released on the coil. The filament slides along the internal surface of the filter element so that the filter element may assume intermediate positions.

Claims

1. A device for intravascular use, comprising:

a wire;

a core element; and

an expandable element, the expandable element being movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, the expandable element being naturally biased toward the collapsed position, the wire also having a collapsed shape and an expanded shape, the wire being tensioned to hold the wire in the collapsed shape, the expandable element being mounted to the core element;

the wire being wrapped around the core element and being advanceable into the expandable element so that the wire expands the expandable element toward the expanded position, the wire sliding against an interior surface of the expandable element and being free to move relative to the expandable element at all locations proximal to a distal end.

2.The device of claim 1, wherein;

the wire forms coils in the expanded position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the wire may be compressed when expanding the expandable element.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the expandable element is a mesh.

4. An intravascular device, comprising of:

a wire;

a core element; and

an expandable element mounted to the core element and being movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, the expandable element being naturally biased toward the collapsed position;

the wire also having a collapsed shape and an expanded shape, the wire being tensioned to hold the wire in the collapsed shape, wherein releasing at least some tension on the wire permits the wire to expand toward the expanded position thereby expanding the expandable element, the wire sliding against an interior surface of the expandable element and being free to move relative to the expandable element at all locations proximal to a distal end, the wire being wrapped around the core element.

5. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the wire forms coils in the expanded position.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the wire may be compressed to further expand the expandable element after releasing all of the tension on the wire.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the expandable element is a mesh.