Embolus blood clot filter with bio-resorbable coated filter members

A filter to be placed in a blood vessel, the filter comprising:

• a) a plurality of appendages, each appendage having an anchor member with a distal end sharp tip;
• b) a bio-resorbable mass of material that encapsulates the distal end sharp tip, wherein when initially placed in a patient's vessel said mass of material has an outer surface that is smooth for enabling the mass of material to slide along the inside of the vessel;
• c) wherein when in use in said patient's vessel, the bio-resorbable mass of material that encapsulates the distal end sharp tip of at least one of the plurality of appendages resorbs after time and allows the distal end sharp tip to engage the vessel;
• d) a hub disposed along a longitudinal axis, the hub being coupled to the plurality of appendages;
• e) wherein the appendages are each coupled to the hub, each anchor member including a retainer spaced along the longitudinal axis from the hub at a first longitudinal distance, and radially spaced apart from the hub at a first longitudinal distance, and radially spaced from the longitudinal axis a first radial distance, each curved anchor member being configured to penetrate a wall of the blood vessel when the filter is disposed in the blood vessel;
• and
• f) wherein the plurality of appendages comprise a plurality of locator members, each locator member including:
• a first portion proximate the hub;
• a second portion that extends from the first portion along a first axis;
• a third portion that extends from the second portion along a second axis distinct from the first axis;
• and
• g) the bio-resorbable mass of material encompasses at least a portion of the retainer of the at least one of the plurality of anchor members;
• h) the retainer is held by the mass of bio-resorbable material in a first position, moving to a second position when the bio-resorbable material resorbs;
• and
• i) wherein the first and second positions have different curvatures for the retainer.

A filter to be placed in a patient's blood vessel, the filter comprising:

• a) a plurality of appendages, at least some of the appendages having an anchor member with a distal end sharp tip;
• b) a rounded bead shaped bio-resorbable mass of material that encapsulates the distal end sharp tip, wherein said mass of material has an outer surface that is smooth for enabling the mass of material to slide along the inside of the vessel;
• and,
• c) a hub disposed along a longitudinal axis, the hub being coupled to the plurality of appendages;
• d) wherein the appendages are each coupled to the hub, each anchor member spaced along the longitudinal axis from the hub at a first longitudinal distance, and radially spaced from the longitudinal axis a first radial distance, each anchor member distal end sharp tip being configured to penetrate a wall of the blood vessel when the filter is disposed in the blood vessel;
• and
• e) wherein when in use in the vessel, the bio-resorbable mass of material initially encapsulates the distal end sharp tip of at least one of the plurality of appendages and later resorbs after time and allows the distal end sharp tip to engage the vessel;
• and
• f) wherein the plurality of appendages comprise a plurality of locator members, each locator member including:
• a first portion proximate the hub;
• a second portion that extends from the first portion along a first axis;
• and
• a third portion that extends from the second portion along a second axis distinct from the first axis;
• and,
• g) wherein each of the plurality of anchor members includes a first portion proximal the hub and a second portion distal the hub, each of the first and second portions of the anchor members being generally linear and disposed on distinct axes each oblique to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first portion of the anchor members is longer than the second portion of the anchor members and each of the plurality of anchor members is coupled to the second portion of the locator members.