# US 10,117,736 B2 · Low radial force filter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,117,736 B2 - Document ID: US10117736B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/819,087 - Filed: 2015-08-05 - Published: 2016-02-11 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-06 - Assignees: Cook Medical Technologies LLC - Applicants: Cook Medical Technologies LLC - Inventors: Jeppe Dufresne Johnsen; Bent Oehlenschlaeger; Erik Rasmussen; Palle Hansen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117736B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/01: Filters implantable into blood vessels - A61F 2/011: {Instruments for their placement or removal} - A61F 2002/016: {made from wire-like elements} - A61F 2220/0016: with sharp anchoring protrusions, e.g. barbs, pins, spikes - A61F 2230/005: Rosette-shaped, e.g. star-shaped - A61F 2230/0054: V-shaped - A61F 2230/0056: W-shaped, e.g. M-shaped, sigma-shaped - A61F 2230/0093: Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract The disclosure provides a filter apparatus and method of filtering in a body vessel. The filter apparatus comprises a filter unit and an expandable introducer designed to deliver the filter unit to the target filtering site. The filter unit attaches to the expandable introducer via a plurality of anchors on the filter unit. The expandable introducer delivers and presses the anchors to the vessel wall during implantation. After implantation, the filter unit exerts minimal or about zero radial force against the vessel wall. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of treatment in a body vessel having a wall, the method comprising: positioning a filter apparatus having an anchor disposed in a casing in the body vessel, the filter apparatus comprising: a filter unit having a filter leg comprising a first end extending to a second end including the anchor being biased to curl; and an expandable introducer having the casing removably attached to the filter unit at the anchor, the expandable introducer having a slider connected to a plurality of introducer levers, wherein the apparatus has a collapsed state and an expanded state for attaching the filter unit to the wall; moving the slider to extend the plurality of introducer levers to the wall; contacting the anchor against the wall by way of the expandable introducer by moving the apparatus from the collapsed state to the expanded state; and attaching the anchor to the wall by removing the anchor from the casing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising inverting the expandable introducer after the step of attaching the anchor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising retrieving the filter unit with a retriever through an access point after the step of inverting. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the step of retrieving the filter unit comprises the anchor uncurling from a curled state attached to the wall to a straight state for retrieval of the filter unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the anchor comprises bio-absorbable material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of attaching the anchor comprises the filter leg exerting about zero radial force on the wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of attaching the anchor comprises the anchor curling from a straight state in the casing to a curled state attached to the wall. ### Claim 8 A method of treatment in a body vessel having a wall, the method comprising: positioning a filter apparatus having an anchor disposed in a casing in the body vessel, the filter apparatus comprising: a filter unit having a filter leg comprising a first end extending to a second end including the anchor being biased to curl; and an expandable introducer having the casing removably attached to the filter unit at the anchor, wherein the apparatus has a collapsed state and an expanded state for attaching the filter unit to the wall; expanding the expandable introducer, the expandable introducer having a slider connected to a plurality of introducer levers, each introducer lever extending to one of a plurality of filter carriers, the step of expanding comprising moving the slider to extend the filter carriers and introducer levers to the wall; contacting the anchor against the wall by way of the expandable introducer by moving the apparatus from the collapsed state to the expanded state; and attaching the anchor to the wall by removing the anchor from the casing. ### Claim 9 A filter apparatus for use in a body vessel having a wall, the apparatus comprising: a filter unit having a filter point and a plurality of filter legs extending from the filter point, each filter leg comprising a first end extending from the filter point to a second end comprising an anchor being biased to curl; and an expandable introducer having a casing removably attached to the filter unit at the anchor, the expandable introducer having a slider connected to a plurality of introducer levers, each introducer lever extending to one of a plurality of filter carriers, the slider being movable to extend the filter carriers and the introducer levers to the wall, wherein the apparatus has a collapsed state and an expanded state for attaching the filter unit to the wall, wherein each of the plurality of filter carriers terminates in the casing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plurality of filter legs forms an interwoven net. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each filter leg has a curve and is spaced apart from an adjacent filter leg at the respective second ends. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the anchor has a straight state for delivery and a curled state for attaching to the wall, the anchor comprising an open loop extending from the second end to a sharp point in the curled state. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each filter leg and its respective open loop extend in a first plane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the sharp point is disposed to face its respective filter leg adjacent to the second end. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the open loop comprises a first open loop extending along a first path and a second open loop extending along a second path, the second path being opposite from the first path about the second end. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the open loop extends in a second plane substantially perpendicular to a first plane of its respective filter leg. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the anchor comprises a foot, the foot extending from the second end to control penetration of the wall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the each filter leg of the plurality of filter legs comprises one anchor being removably attached to one casing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the filter unit comprises a first filter unit having a first filter point and a second filter unit having a second filter point, the first and second filter points connected by a strut. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the filter legs extend proximally from the filter point and the introducer levers extend distally from the slider.