Embolic protection device

• US 8,226,678 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Salviac Ltd. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Salviac Ltd. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gilson, Paul, Brady, Eamon, Maher, Padraig, Vale, David, Taylor, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): TYSON, MELANIE RUANO
• Application Number:
  US11/762,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 606/200
• US Class Current: 606/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22067 Blocking; Occlusion A61B2017/22054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0108 Both ends closed, i.e. legs gathered at both ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/011 Instruments for their placement or removal
• 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 2002/015 Stop means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/016 made from wire-like elements
• 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 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0097 Harpoon-shaped

Abstract

An embolic protection device has a collapsible filter element (105) mounted on a carrier such as a guidewire (101). The filter element (105) collapses into the outer end of a catheter (118) for deployment and retrieval through a vascular system of a patient. The filter element (105) has a collapsible filter body with a proximal inlet end and a distal outlet end. The proximal inlet end has inlet openings sized to allow blood and embolic material enter the filter body. The outlet end has outlet openings which allow through passage of blood but retain embolic material within the filter body. After use, the catheter (118) is movable along the guidewire (101) to engage the proximal end of the filter element and close the inlet openings before sliding over the filter element from the proximal end to the distal end to progressively collapse the filter body on the guidewire (101) for retrieval. The filter element (105) may conveniently be mounted on a tubular sleeve (104) which is slidable and rotatable on the guidewire (101) between spaced-apart stops (106, 120) on the guidewire (101) which allows some manipulation of the guidewire independently of the filter when the filter is in use.

Claims

1. An embolic protection filter comprising:

a filter body having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an intermediate section extending between the inlet end and the outlet end, the inlet end of the filter body having one or more inlet openings sized to allow blood and embolic material enter the filter body, the outlet end of the filter body having a plurality of outlet openings sized to allow through passage of blood but to retain undesired embolic material within the filter body, and the filter body having an expanded position for apposition with a vessel wall and a collapsed position for movement through the vascular system;

the intermediate section comprising a hinging region formed circumferentially around the filter body, wherein the hinging region defines a circumferential groove in the intermediate section of the filter body.

2. A filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinging region is provided as a curved part of the external surface of the filter body.

3. A filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the external surface of the filter body is curved in the form of a concave.

4. A filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter comprises a filter support movable between the collapsed position for movement through the vascular system and an extended outwardly projecting position to support the filter body in the expanded position.

5. A filter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the filter support comprises a support hinging region.

6. A filter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support hinging region is provided as a curved region of part of the filter support.

7. A filter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the part of the filter support is curved in the form of a concave.

8. A filter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the curved portion of the filter support is in alignment with the hinging region when the filter is in the expanded position.

9. A filter as claimed in claim 4, wherein in the extended outwardly projecting position, the filter support comprises a proximal support arm extending radially outwardly in the distal direction, a distal support arm extending radially inwardly in the distal direction, and an intermediate support section extending longitudinally between the proximal support arm and the distal support arm,

the longitudinally extending intermediate section of the filter support comprising a support hinging region, the support hinging region defining a curved region of the support.

10. A filter as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the extended outwardly projection position, the curved region extends radially inwardly.

11. A filter as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support hinging region reduces a lateral flexibility of the filter.

12. A filter as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support hinging region is formed at about the midpoint between the proximal and distal ends of the filter support.

13. A filter as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the expanded position, the hinging region of the filter body is in alignment with the support hinging region.

14. A filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inlet end of the filter body tapers proximally and the outlet end of the filter body tapers distally.

15. A filter as claimed in claim 14, wherein the intermediate section comprises a proximal intermediate section, a distal intermediate section and the hinging region, and

when the filter body is in the expanded position, the proximal intermediate section extends longitudinally from the inlet end to the hinging region, the distal intermediate section extends longitudinally from the hinging region to the outlet end, and the hinging region defines a circumferential groove between the proximal and distal intermediate sections.

16. A filter as claimed in claim 15, the filter body comprising a shaped polymeric membrane.

17. A filter as claimed in claim 1, the filter body comprising a flexible polymeric membrane.

18. A filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinging region reduces the lateral flexibility of the filter between the inlet end and the outlet end of the filter.