Guidewire filter and methods of use

• US 20060015139A1
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Chang, Jean, Tsugita, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 7,717,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0108 Both ends closed, i.e. legs gathered at both ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/015 Stop means therefor
• 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 2230/008 paraboloidal

Abstract

A filter system for temporary placement of a filter in an artery or vein is disclosed. The filter system includes a guidewire that is first positioned across a lesion within a vessel. The guidewire may include a distal stop. A slideable filter is then advanced along the guidewire using an advancing mechanism, typically an elongate member slideable over the guidewire and contacting the filter. A capture sheath may be disposed about the filter during advancement. Once the filter is positioned downstream of the lesion, the capture sheath is withdrawn, allowing the filter to expand. Further distal advancement of the filter is prohibited by the stop. After expansion of the filter, the capture sheath and the advancing mechanism are withdrawn from the region of interest, and removed from the patient'"'"'s vessel. The filter may then be retrieved using a capture sheath or exchanged for a second filter after removing the first filter.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A medical device, comprising:

a guidewire with an actuatable stop;

the actuatable stop actuatable between traversable and untraversable states;

a filter with proximal and distal ends, the filter disposed on the guidewire, wherein the filter proximal end cannot pass proximally over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the untraversable state and the filter proximal end can pass proximally over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the traversable state; and

an actuator that interacts with the actuatable stop to actuate the actuatable stop between the traversable and untraversable states.

22. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the filter proximal end defines a proximal opening, the proximal opening configured to mate with the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the traversable state, allowing passage of the actuatable stop through the proximal opening.

23. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the actuatable stop passes through the proximal opening toward the distal end of the filter.

24. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the actuator aligns the actuatable stop with the proximal opening, allowing passage of the actuatable stop through the proximal opening.

25. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the filter is slidably disposed on the guidewire.

26. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the actuator comprises a sheath.

27. The medical device of claim 26, wherein the sheath has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the sheath proximal portion having a smaller inner diameter than the sheath distal portion, wherein the smaller diameter of the sheath proximal portion engages the actuatable stop, actuating the actuatable stop from the untraversable state to the traversable state.

28. The medical device of claim 26, wherein the sheath has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the sheath proximal portion having a smaller inner diameter than the sheath distal portion, wherein the smaller diameter of the sheath proximal portion engages the actuatable stop, aligning the actuatable stop with an opening at the proximal end of the filter.

29. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the filter has a filter mesh on a proximal portion of the filter.

30. The medical device of claim 21, further comprising a sheath, wherein the filter has collapsed and expanded states, and wherein the filter is sized to fit within the sheath in the collapsed state and the filter is predisposed to assume the expanded state when the filter is outside of the sheath.

31. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the actuatable stop has distal and proximal ends, the proximal end shaped and configured to interact with the actuator, actuating the actuatable stop between the traversable and untraversable states.

32. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the actuatable stop has distal and proximal ends, the proximal end shaped and configured to interact with the proximal end of the filter, the proximal end of the filter acting as an actuator and actuating the actuatable stop between the traversable and untraversable states.

33. The medical device of claim 32, wherein the actuatable stop can pass through the proximal end of the filter.

34. The medical device of claim 32, further comprising a second actuator, the second actuator being a sheath.

35. The medical device of claim 32, wherein the proximal end of the actuatable stop is also shaped and configured to interact with the distal end of the filter, actuating the actuatable stop between traversable and untraversable states, allowing the distal end of the filter to pass over the actuatable stop.

36. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the actuatable stop is a pivoting proximal stop.

37. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the actuatable stop is a slip stop.

38. A device for filtering emboli, comprising:

a guidewire with a filter stop means;

an actuatable stop actuatable between traversable and untraversable states;

a filter with proximal and distal ends, the filter disposed on the guidewire, wherein the filter proximal end cannot pass proximally over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the untraversable state and the filter proximal end can pass proximally over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the traversable state; and

an actuating means that interacts with the actuatable stop to actuate the actuatable stop between the traversable and untraversable states.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the actuating means is a sheath.

40. The device of claim 38, wherein the actuating means is the proximal end of the filter.

41. The device of claim 39, further comprising a second actuating means, wherein the second actuating means is the proximal end of the filter.

42. The device of claim 38, wherein the filter proximal end defines a proximal opening, the proximal opening configured to mate with the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the traversable state, allowing passage of the actuatable stop through the proximal opening.

43. The device of claim 38, wherein the filter is slidably disposed on the guidewire.

44. The device of claim 39, wherein the sheath has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the sheath proximal portion having a smaller inner diameter than the sheath distal portion, wherein the smaller diameter of the sheath proximal portion engages the actuatable stop, actuating the actuatable stop from the untraversable state to the traversable state.

45. The device of claim 38, further comprising a sheath, wherein the filter has collapsed and expanded states, and wherein the filter is sized to fit within the sheath in the collapsed state and the filter is predisposed to assume the expanded state when the filter is outside of the sheath.

46. The device of claim 38, wherein the actuatable stop is a pivoting proximal stop.

47. The device of claim 38, wherein the actuatable stop is a slip stop.

48. A medical device, comprising:

a guidewire with an actuatable stop;

the actuatable stop actuatable between traversable and untraversable states;

a slidable device with proximal and distal ends, the slidable device slidably disposed on the guidewire, wherein the slidable device proximal end cannot pass proximally over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the untraversable state and the slidable device proximal end can pass proximally over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the traversable state; and

an actuator that interacts with the actuatable stop to actuate the actuatable stop between the traversable and untraversable states.

49. The device of claim 48, wherein the slidable device is a filter.

50. A method, comprising the steps of:

providing a medical device comprising;

a guidewire with an actuatable stop, the actuatable stop actuatable between traversable and untraversable states;

a filter with proximal and distal ends, the filter disposed on the guidewire, wherein the filter proximal end cannot pass over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the untraversable state and the filter proximal end can pass over the actuatable stop when the actuatable stop is in the traversable state; and

an actuating means that interacts with the actuatable stop to actuate the actuatable stop between the traversable and untraversable states;

deploying the filter in a patient'"'"'s vasculature;

actuating the actuatable stop from the untraversable state to the traversable state; and

passing the proximal end of the filter over the actuatable stop.

51. The method of claim 50, the device further including a sheath, the method further comprising the step of deploying the filter from a collapsed state within the sheath to an expanded state outside the sheath.

52. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of sliding the filter distal end and proximal end over the actuatable stop.