Self-centering blood clot filter
First Claim
1. A blood clot filter, comprising:
- an apical head defining a central longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of elongated filter legs each having a proximal section and a distal section, each of said plurality of elongated filter legs formed at least in part of a shape-memory material actuatable between three mutually exclusive configurations;
a radially collapsed configuration, a centering configuration, and a filtering configuration;
wherein the centering configuration of said plurality of elongated filter legs includes a bend region in the proximal section forming a pad configured to abut a vessel interior wall to center the filter when placed within a blood vessel;
wherein each of the bend regions of each of the elongated filter legs extends radially outward from the central longitudinal axis at equidistant intervals;
wherein the apical head is coupled to the proximal section of each of said plurality of elongated filter legs;
wherein each filter leg is configured to avoid contact with the vessel wall in the proximal section of the filter leg in the filtering configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Blood clot filters having self-centering capabilities when placed in a blood vessel are disclosed. A blood clot device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a number filter legs formed at least in part of a shape-memory material configured to transform from a centering configuration to a filtering when deployed in the body. An attachment section on the distal section of each filter leg is configured to pierce and secure the filter to the vessel wall at a first location. A bend region may be heat set into the shape-memory material to provide a second contact location along the vessel wall to aid in centering the filter within the vessel. The bend region can be formed by heating the shape-memory material above its final austenite temperature (Af), and then shaping the filter leg to form a pad that abuts the vessel wall during deployment.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A blood clot filter, comprising:
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an apical head defining a central longitudinal axis; and a plurality of elongated filter legs each having a proximal section and a distal section, each of said plurality of elongated filter legs formed at least in part of a shape-memory material actuatable between three mutually exclusive configurations;
a radially collapsed configuration, a centering configuration, and a filtering configuration;wherein the centering configuration of said plurality of elongated filter legs includes a bend region in the proximal section forming a pad configured to abut a vessel interior wall to center the filter when placed within a blood vessel; wherein each of the bend regions of each of the elongated filter legs extends radially outward from the central longitudinal axis at equidistant intervals; wherein the apical head is coupled to the proximal section of each of said plurality of elongated filter legs; wherein each filter leg is configured to avoid contact with the vessel wall in the proximal section of the filter leg in the filtering configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A blood clot filter, comprising:
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an apical head defining a central longitudinal axis; and a plurality of filter legs each having a proximal section and a distal section, the distal section of said filter legs including attachment means configured to secure the blood clot filter at a first location along the wall of a blood vessel; wherein each of said plurality of filter legs is formed at least in part of a shape-memory material actuatable between three mutually exclusive configurations;
a radially collapsed configuration, a centering configuration, and a filtering configuration;wherein the centering configuration of each filter leg includes a bend region in the proximal section forming a pad configured to abut the wall of the blood vessel at a second location spaced longitudinally apart from the first location to center the filter within the blood vessel; wherein each of the bend regions of each of the filter legs extends radially outward from the central longitudinal axis at equidistant intervals; wherein each filter leg is configured to avoid contact with the wall of the blood vessel in the proximal section of the filter leg in the filtering configuration. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification