Vascular occlusion devices and methods

A method for embolizing a blood vessel having an endoluminal wall defining a vascular lumen, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a catheter dimensioned to be introduced intravascularly to a target vascular site in the vascular lumen, the catheter having a catheter lumen between a distal open end and a proximal open end;
• (b) providing an occlusion device having a longitudinal axis between a proximal device end and a distal device end, the occlusion device comprising a braided filament mesh extending between the proximal device end and the distal device end, the filaments terminating at the proximal device end in a proximal hub and at the distal device end in a distal hub, wherein the occlusion device has a relaxed configuration in which the occlusion device has a plurality of radially-extending occlusion regions of substantially equal diameter, wherein each radially-extending occlusion region has a peripheral edge, and wherein, when the occlusion device is in the relaxed configuration, each of the radially extending occlusion regions defines a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis;
• (c) advancing the catheter intravascularly to position its distal open end in or near the target vascular site;
• (d) advancing the occlusion device, in a radially-compressed configuration, distally through the catheter lumen until the occlusion device emerges from the open distal end of the catheter to a deployed position in the vascular lumen at the target vascular site;
• (e) allowing the deployed occlusion device to expand radially to a deployed configuration within the vascular lumen at the deployed position in which the peripheral edge of each radially-extending occlusion region engages the endoluminal wall at a contact region, wherein, when the occlusion device is in the deployed configuration—
• each of the occlusion regions defines a second angle relative to the longitudinal axis that is less than the first angle,
• each of the peripheral edges has a thickness along the longitudinal axis of the occlusion device, and
• the combined thicknesses of the peripheral edges is less than about 25% of a total length of the braided filament mesh along the longitudinal axis;
• and
• (f) maintaining the peripheral edge of at least one of the radially-extending occlusion regions in engagement with the endoluminal wall at the target vascular site at least until the vascular lumen at the target vascular site is embolized to occlude blood flow through the vascular lumen at the target vascular site.