Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A filter device for capturing embolic material in a blood vessel operative on a
guide wire (12) having a proximal end, a distal end (14) and a stop (16) near said distal end
characterizing: an expandable frame (20) of frame struts (21, 23, 25, 27) having a closed, radially
compact form (FIG. 4A) and an open, radially expanded form (FIG.1), said frame in said radially
expanded form having frame struts forming a pair of facing frustoconical frame structures (6,28); a filter material (32) attached to one of said pair of frustoconical frame structures (6); and said guide wire (12) extending through said expandable frame (20) and said guide wire
being freely movable, both rotatably and longitudinally, with respect to said expandable frame
except distally beyond said stop to enable said guide wire to be guided through said blood vessel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
42 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said expandable frame includes fore
and aft collars (16, 34) through which passes said guide wire, said collars permitting said free
longitudinal and rotatable movement relative to said guide wire excepting said stop.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said filter material has a scalloped
edge (120) about a radially large end of said one of said frustoconical frame structures and said
filter material is disposed on either the inside and the outside of said one of said frustoconical
frame structures.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 1 including an actuator sleeve (44) running
over said guide wire (12), said actuator sleeve enabling longitudinal compression of said
expandable frame and frame struts thereby causing said frame to radially expand and deploy said
filter material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 4 wherein actuator sleeve (44) extends
proximally along said guide wire (13), and said actuator sleeve includes means for temporarily
latching (50, 13, 52) said sleeve and expandable frame in a compressed and filter deployed state.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 5 wherein said fore collar defines a fore
end channel (13) complementary to said fixed collar (16) thereby enabling said expandable frame
to be initially locked onto said fixed collar to deploy said filter material and then collapse said
frustoconical frame structure about said guide wire.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said means for temporarily latching
includes at least one latch stop (50) on said guide wire and an actuator piece (44) adapted to pass
over with tactile resistence said at least one latch stop.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said actuator piece (44) has indicia
indicating the state of radial deployment of said expandable frame.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A filter device as claimed in claims 1, 6 or 8 wherein said frame struts are bent
at longitudinal mid-regions thereof thereby forming said pair of facing frustoconical frame
structures.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
A filter device as claimed in claims 1, 6 or 8 wherein said expansion frame has
a pre-formed, centrally located transition bend region between said distal and proximal frame
ends, said expansion frame having a first, radially collapsed position and a second radially open
frame position in which said central transition bend delineates upstream and downstream
frustoconical basket frames formed by said expansion frame.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A filter device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said bend region is substantially
midway between said fore and aft collars and supports a band of non-filter material thereon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
164 words
A vascular filter and embolic material retrieval device adapted for use with a
guide wire (204) and adapted to extend through and beyond a distal end (210) of a catheter sheath
(208) and during catheter based procedures characterizing: a discontinuous loop of memory shape material (224) having an open loop shape (232,
252) when not radially restrained; a lead line (226) having a proximal end (228) attached to said guide wire (204) and a
distal end attached to said discontinuous loop; a substantially conical filter (220) adapted to capture embolic material, an open conical
end of said filter attached to said discontinuous loop and a conical end point (300) attached to
said guide wire; whereby said discontinuous loop and the attached filter are collapsed when proximally
disposed in said catheter sheath (FIG. 21) and inboard the sheath's distal end and said
discontinuous loop and the attached filter are deployed in a substantially conical shape when
distally disposed outboard said sheath's distal end (FIG. 22).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said filter is one of a mesh filter and a
sheet filter defining a plurality of holes through said sheet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device as claimed in claim 12 or 13 wherein said discontinuous loop defines
a gap (232) in the open loop state.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device as claimed in claim 12 or 13 wherein both said lead line and said
discontinuous loop are made of memory shape material.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
59 words
A device as claimed in claims 12,13 or 15 wherein said discontinuous loop, when
not radially restrained within said catheter sheath, defines a closed, generally circular shape and
further defines an inboard protruding discontinuity (250) enabling generally radial collapse of
said loop upon insertion of said lead line, loop and filter into said distal end of said catheter
sheath.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said loop includes an outboard
protruding discontinuity (260) forming an open ended triangular segment with an open end
disposed inboard said loop and an apex attached to said lead line.