Medical system and method of using the same

A medical system for collecting debris broken away from a stenosed site in a body lumen of a living body and removing the debris from the living body, the medical system comprising:

• a filter portion possessing a central axis, extending in an axial direction and possessing proximal-most and distal-most end portions, the filter portion comprising a first engagement portion at the distal-most end portion of the filter portion, the filter portion being elastic to contract radially inwardly when an external force is applied to the filter portion, the filter portion comprising:
• a cup-shaped filter made of a wire material with a concave portion inside the cup-shaped filter to trap the debris, the cup-shaped filter possessing proximal-most and distal-most ends spaced apart from one another at opposite axial ends of the cup-shaped filter, the first engagement portion being at the distal-most end of the cup-shaped filter, the filter portion also comprising a plurality of support wires at the distal-most end of the cup-shaped filter that extend across the distal-most end of the cup-shaped filter which is open, a portion of the support wires constituting the first engagement portion;
• a hollow tube possessing an open distal end, the hollow tube being configured to accommodate the filter within the tube, the filter being contractable radially inwardly when the filter is at a position inside the hollow tube, the filter being dischargeable through the open distal end of the hollow tube from the position inside the hollow tube to a position outside the hollow tube when the hollow tube is in the body lumen to position the filter downstream of the stenosed site, the filter being elastically expandable radially outwardly when the filter is discharged through the open distal end of the hollow tube from the position inside the hollow tube to the position outside the hollow tube so that the outwardly expanded filter engages an inner surface of the body lumen and so that the debris inside the body lumen which has broken away from the stenosed site and which flows downstream from the stenosed site is captured by the outwardly expanded filter;
• an elongated catheter comprising a lumen opening to an open distal end of the elongated catheter;
• and
• an elongated shaft positionable in the lumen of the elongated catheter, the elongated shaft comprising a second engagement portion at a distal end portion of the elongated shaft, the elongated catheter being movable within the body lumen of the living body while the elongated shaft is in the lumen of the catheter to move the catheter from a position upstream of the stenosed site to a position downstream of the stenosed site, the elongated shaft and the elongated catheter being relatively movable so that:
• i) the distal end portion of the elongated shaft that is positioned in the lumen in the elongated catheter passes through the open distal end of the catheter when the open distal end of the catheter is positioned downstream of the stenosed site so that the second engagement portion of the elongated shaft engages the first engagement portion of the filter;
• and ii) the distal end portion of the elongated shaft is moved back into the lumen in the elongated catheter together with the filter whose first engagement portion is engaged by the second engagement portion.

A medical system for collecting debris broken away from a stenosed site in a body lumen of a living body and removing the debris from the living body, the medical system comprising:

• an elongated hollow tube configured to be positioned in the body lumen, the elongated hollow tube possessing an interior that extends from a proximal end of the elongated hollow tube to an open distal end of the elongated hollow tube, and a hub positioned at the proximal end of the elongated hollow tube;
• a filter that possesses a central axis, extends in an axial direction and possesses proximal-most and distal-most end portions at opposite axial ends of the filter, the filter being positioned in the interior of the elongated hollow tube so that the distal-most end portion of the filter is positioned closer to the open distal end of the elongated hollow tube than the proximal-most end portion of the filter, the filter being in a contracted state in which the filter is inwardly contracted, the filter being movable relative to the elongated hollow tube from a position in the interior of the elongated hollow tube through the open distal end of the elongated hollow tube to a position exterior of the elongated hollow tube and in the body lumen downstream of the stenosed site, the filter being configured when moved to exterior of the elongated hollow tube to automatically expand outwardly and to contact an inner surface of the body lumen, the filter comprises a cup-shaped filter made of a wire material with a concave portion inside the cup-shaped filter to trap the debris, the cup-shaped filter possessing proximal-most and distal-most ends spaced apart from one another at opposite axial ends of the cup-shaped filter, the first engagement portion being at the distal-most end of the cup-shaped filter, the filter also comprising at least one support wire at the distal-most end of the cup-shaped filter that extends across the distal-most end of the cup-shaped filter which is open, a portion of the support wire constituting the first engagement portion;
• an elongated catheter configured to be positioned in the body lumen, the elongated catheter comprising a lumen opening to an open distal end of the elongated catheter;
• and
• an elongated shaft positionable in the lumen of the elongated catheter, the elongated shaft comprising a second engagement portion at a distal end portion of the elongated shaft that is specifically configured to engage the first engagement portion on the filter and move the filter, the elongated catheter being movable within the body lumen of the living body while the elongated shaft is in the lumen of the catheter to move the elongated catheter from a position upstream of the stenosed site to a position downstream of the stenosed site, the elongated shaft and the elongated catheter being relatively movable so that:
• i) the distal end portion of the elongated shaft that is positioned in the lumen of the elongated catheter passes through the open distal end of the elongated catheter when the open distal end of the elongated catheter is positioned downstream of the stenosed site so that the second engagement portion of the elongated shaft engages the first engagement portion of the filter;
• and ii) the distal end portion of the elongated shaft, including the filter whose first engagement portion is engaged by the second engagement portion, is moved back into the lumen of the elongated catheter.