Aortic arch filtration catheter for carotid artery protection and methods of use

A biocompatible filtration catheter comprising:

• a shaft having a balloon lumen, a proximal end and a distal end;
• a proximal port in fluid communication with the balloon lumen and connected to the proximal end of the shaft;
• an integrated filter element having an inner flow lumen integrated as part of a wall of the catheter at or near the distal end of the shaft, wherein the integrated filter element provides for fluid flow out from the catheter interior;
• a distal section extending in a distal orientation from the integrated filter element and having a distal opening, wherein a tubular portion of the balloon lumen extends along the integrated filter element through the inner flow lumen from the shaft to the distal section;
• a balloon having an interior in fluid communication with the balloon lumen and that is associated with the exterior of the distal section at or near the distal end of the distal section that can extend radially outward from the exterior of and around the circumference of the shaft;
• and
• a conduit extending within the distal section from the distal opening to the inner flow lumen of the integrated filter element to provide fluid communication between the distal opening and the integrated filter element;
• wherein the integrated filter element comprises interwoven fibers, has an outer diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the shaft and extending around the entire circumference of the shaft and the inner flow lumen and that is integrated as part of the wall of the catheter at or near the distal end of the shaft, and provides for fluid flow out from the catheter interior with a pore size designed to capture at least about 95% of emboli with a size greater than 100 microns, wherein the integrated filter element has structural stability;
• wherein the integrated filter element having a length from about 10 mm to about 70 mm.