Low-profile distal protection device

• US 7,716,801 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Dunfee, Albert H, Douk, Nareak, Rafiee, Nasser
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koehler; Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US10/718,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: 294/47, 294/191, 295/271, 606/200, 606/191, 623/1.15, 604/96.01, 604/103.06, 604/523
• US Class Current: 29/419.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• 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 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0097 Harpoon-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0036 differing in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49801 Shaping fiber or fibered material

Abstract

A distal protection device captures debris during vascular procedures. In order to reduce the profile of the device, the thickness of the distal protection element is reduced in one or both of the end regions, either by reducing the thickness of filaments which form the distal protection element, or by removing portions of those filaments altogether. Various methods of reducing the thickness of the end regions and different profiles that can be created by the reduction are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a distal protection element for preventing emboli in a blood vessel from moving away from a treatment site during a vascular procedure, the method comprising:

braiding a plurality of filaments to form an enclosure;

forming the braided enclosure to have a first end region and a second end region, each of the first and second end regions having a taper region and a neck region adapted for attachment to a guidewire; and

after the step of forming the braided enclosure, simultaneously reducing a thickness of all of the filaments of the braided enclosure along at least a portion of the first end region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

heat treating the filaments of the braided distal protection element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the heat treating step is performed prior to the reducing step.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the heat treating step is performed after the reducing step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the distal protection element is a capture element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distal protection element is an occluder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing step comprises electropolishing the filaments along at least a portion of each of the filaments.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing step comprises etching the filaments along at least a portion of each of the filaments.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the etching step is selected from the group consisting of photo etching, chemical etching and laser etching.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing step comprises acid pickling the filaments along at least a portion of each of the filaments.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing step comprises mechanically grinding the filaments along at least a portion of each of the filaments.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the filaments comprise nitinol wires.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the filaments comprise drawn-filled tubing wires.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the filaments comprise a combination of nitinol wires and drawn-filled tubing wires.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the filaments are made of material selected from the group consisting of metal, thermoplastic polymer, thermoset polymer, ceramics and glass.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing step creates a gradual decrease in the thickness of the filaments along at least a portion of the first end region of the braided enclosure.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing step creates a stepped profile in the thickness of the filaments along at least a portion of the first end region of the braided enclosure.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing step creates a decrease in the thickness of the filaments along the neck region of the first end region of the braided enclosure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the reducing step also creates a decrease in the thickness of the filaments along the taper region of the first end region of the braided enclosure.