Arterial embolic filter deployed from catheter

A method of deploying an embolic filter within a blood vessel, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a catheter assembly comprising an outer catheter tube 12, a middle tube 13 or a wire 13, and an inner tube 14 or a wire 14, and at least one pair of struts, each pair comprising a tension strut 7 joined atone end to tube 12, or to a wire, and a compression strut 6 attached at one end to middle tube or wire 13, and wherein struts 6 and 7 are joined or are continuous at their other ends;
• providing a filter membrane with an open distal end 10 operatively connected to inner tube or wire 14 and a proximal end 18 attached to outer tube 12;
• conveying the filter to the site of deployment, the filter being in an undeployed state in transit;
• moving inner tube or wire 14 proximally with respect to central tube or wire 13;
• and moving tube 12, or a wire corresponding to tension strut 7, proximally with respect to middle tube or wire 13;
• thereby bending compression strut 6 and forcing tension strut 7 radially outward to contact the wall of the blood vessel,
• and thereby deploying the filter so that its open end 10 receives and filters blood flowing through the vessel.