US5709704A — Blood clot filtering

Claim 1

Independent Claim 149 words

A filter sized and constructed to be compressed and passed through the vasculature of a patient to be anchored against an inner wall surface of a blood vessel for capturing blood clots in a blood stream passing therethrough, said filter comprising an anchoring portion comprising a generally cylindrical self-expanding body formed from resilient material, said generally cylindrical body having proximal and distal ends and defining an axial direction and having a structure of variable size diameter expandable from a low-profile compressed condition to a larger profile expanded condition, wherein said resilient material urges said generally cylindrical body to radially expand and to thereby apply anchoring radial force against the inner wall surface of the blood vessel, and a generally conical filtering portion, axially aligned with said generally cylindrical body having an open proximal end coupled near the distal end of said anchoring portion and having an apical distal end.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 149 words

A filter sized and constructed to be compressed and passed through the vasculature of a patient to be anchored against an inner wall surface of a blood vessel for capturing blood clots in a blood stream passing therethrough, said filter comprising an anchoring portion comprising a generally cylindrical self-expanding body formed from resilient material, said generally cylindrical body having proximal and distal ends and defining an axial direction and having a structure of variable size diameter expandable from a low-profile compressed condition to a larger profile expanded condition, wherein said resilient material urges said generally cylindrical body to radially expand and to thereby apply anchoring radial force against the inner wall surface of the blood vessel, and a generally conical filtering portion, axially aligned with said generally cylindrical body having an open proximal end coupled near the distal end of said anchoring portion and having an apical distal end.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

The filter of claim 1 wherein said anchoring portion and said filtering portion are substantially non-overlapping to achieve a low profile compressed condition for delivery of the filter through the vasculature.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 49 words

The filter of claim 1 wherein said generally conical filtering portion is formed from a plurality of elongated strands arranged to form a generally conical structure to guide blood clots in the blood stream flowing therepast to the apical distal end of said generally conical filtering portion for lysing.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 38 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands forming the generally conical filtering portion are constructed and arranged to maintain a generally conical shape whether said anchoring portion is in a compressed condition or an expanded condition.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 25 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands are fixedly attached to one another only at the apex of said generally conical filtering portion.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 16 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands define a plurality of neighboring filtering cells.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 22 words

The filter of claim 6 wherein neighboring filtering cells are loosely coupled together at the respective areas of contact between neighboring cells.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

The filter of claim 7 wherein neighboring cells are coupled together by helical twisting of portions of respective elongated strands of neighboring cells.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 38 words

The filter of claim 8 wherein the portion of the twisted together elongated strands are capable of slight mutual separation or rotation to accommodate changes in the shapes of said cells from the expanded to the compressed conditions.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 45 words

The filter of claim 6 wherein said generally conical filtering portion comprises at least two rings of cells, wherein the cells of each ring are of substantially equal size and are spaced substantially the same distance from the apical distal end of said filtering portion.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 44 words

The filter of claim 10 wherein the size of the cells in the rings is smaller for cells closer to the apical distal end of said filtering portion than for cells located a greater distance from the apical distal end of said filtering portion.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 34 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands are spirally arranged with respect to one another from the proximal end of said filtering portion to the apical distal end of said filtering portion.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 30 words

The filter of claim 12 wherein said elongated strands are selected to have sufficient rigidity to maintain the generally conical shape of said filtering portion in a flowing blood stream.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 13 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands are formed from nitinol.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 15 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands are formed from plastically deformable material.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 23 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands are formed from temperature-sensitive shape memory material with a transition temperature around body temperature.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 21 words

The filter of claim 3 wherein said elongated strands are formed from elastic material having a core formed from radiopaque material.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 38 words

The filter of claim 1 wherein said anchoring portion and said filtering portion are constructed and arranged so that the proximal end of said filtering portion conforms to the shape of the cylindrical body of said anchoring portion.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 17 words

The filter of claim 1 wherein said filter is coated with a drug for in vivo compatibility.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 19 words

The filter of claim 1 wherein said self-expanding body of said anchoring portion comprises a ring of neighboring cells.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 14 words

The filter of claim 20 wherein the cells of said anchoring portion are self-expanding.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 34 words

The filter of claim 20 wherein the cells of said anchoring portion cooperate to urge said generally cylindrical body of said anchoring portion to radially expand from a compressed condition to an expanded condition.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 17 words

The filter of claim 20 wherein neighboring cells are fixedly coupled together at respective areas of contact.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 21 words

The filter of claim 20 wherein the cells of said anchoring portion are formed from one or more resilient elongated strands.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 24 words

The filter of claim 20 wherein when said generally cylindrical body is in a compressed condition said cells are elongated in the axial direction.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 37 words

The filter of claim 1 wherein said anchoring portion and said filtering portion are formed from resilient elongated strands extending from the proximal end of said anchoring portion to the distal apical end of said filtering portion.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 16 words

The filter of claim 1 further comprising one or more hooks mounted on said anchoring portion.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 135 words

A filter sized and constructed to be compressed and passed through the vasculature of a patient for anchoring against an inner wall surface of a blood vessel for capturing blood clots in a blood stream passing therethrough, said filter comprising cylindrical anchoring means having proximal and distal ends and defining an axial direction and having a structure of variable size diameter expandable from a low-profile compressed condition to a larger profile expanded condition, and conical filtering means axially aligned with said generally cylindrical body, the filtering means having an open proximal end coupled to the distal end of said anchoring portion and having an apical distal end, wherein said cylindrical anchoring means and said conical filtering means being substantially non-overlapping to achieve a low profile compressed condition for delivery of the filter through the vasculature.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 135 words

A filter sized and constructed to be compressed and passed through the vasculature of a patient for anchoring against an inner wall surface of a blood vessel for capturing blood clots in a blood stream passing therethrough, said filter comprising cylindrical anchoring means having proximal and distal ends and defining an axial direction and having a structure of variable size diameter expandable from a low-profile compressed condition to a larger profile expanded condition, and conical filtering means axially aligned with said generally cylindrical body, the filtering means having an open proximal end coupled to the distal end of said anchoring portion and having an apical distal end, wherein said cylindrical anchoring means and said conical filtering means being substantially non-overlapping to achieve a low profile compressed condition for delivery of the filter through the vasculature.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 219 words

A filter sized and constructed to be compressed and passed through the vasculature of a patient to be anchored against an inner wall surface of a blood vessel for capturing blood clots in a blood stream passing therethrough, said filter comprising an anchoring portion comprising a generally cylindrical body formed from resilient material having proximal and distal ends and having a generally circular transverse cross-section defining an axial direction, said anchoring portion further having a structure of variable size diameter expandable from a low-profile compressed condition to a larger profile expanded condition, wherein said resilient material urges said anchoring portion to radially expand and to thereby apply anchoring radial force against the inner wall surface of the blood vessel, a filtering portion axially aligned with said generally cylindrical body having an open proximal end coupled to the distal end of said anchoring portion, and one or more hooks fixedly coupled to said anchoring portion formed from compliant material having an original shape that bends under stress yet returns to its original shape when unstressed, said one or more hooks respectively tending to project from said anchoring portion at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction for engagement with a vessel wall, said one or more hooks further being deflectable toward said anchoring portion for achieving a low-profile.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 219 words

A filter sized and constructed to be compressed and passed through the vasculature of a patient to be anchored against an inner wall surface of a blood vessel for capturing blood clots in a blood stream passing therethrough, said filter comprising an anchoring portion comprising a generally cylindrical body formed from resilient material having proximal and distal ends and having a generally circular transverse cross-section defining an axial direction, said anchoring portion further having a structure of variable size diameter expandable from a low-profile compressed condition to a larger profile expanded condition, wherein said resilient material urges said anchoring portion to radially expand and to thereby apply anchoring radial force against the inner wall surface of the blood vessel, a filtering portion axially aligned with said generally cylindrical body having an open proximal end coupled to the distal end of said anchoring portion, and one or more hooks fixedly coupled to said anchoring portion formed from compliant material having an original shape that bends under stress yet returns to its original shape when unstressed, said one or more hooks respectively tending to project from said anchoring portion at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction for engagement with a vessel wall, said one or more hooks further being deflectable toward said anchoring portion for achieving a low-profile.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 12 words

The filter of claim 29 wherein said hooks are formed from nitinol.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 19 words

The filter of claim 29 wherein said hooks preferentially bend toward and away from said vessel wall engaging portion.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 58 words

The filter of claim 31 wherein said hooks are formed from flat nitinol wire having a width dimension and having a thickness dimension substantially smaller than said width dimension for achieving preferential bending, said flat nitinol wire being oriented so that the thickness dimension of said flat nitinol wire coincides with a radial direction of the anchoring portion.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-01-19	2001-07-21	2002-01-20	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-01-19	2005-07-21	2006-01-20	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-01-19	2009-07-21	2010-01-20	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Blood clot filtering

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag