Sheathless embolic protection system

A method of enabling the capture of embolic material which may be released into a blood vessel during a therapeutic interventional procedure at a site of a stenosis, in a system which comprises a guide wire, including a distal end, adapted to be positioned within the blood vessel and to extend to a position distal to an interventional procedure site and a proximal end, adapted to remain outside of the blood vessel during the therapeutic procedure, and a filter device having an interior and an exterior, adapted to be positioned and deployed at a location in the patient's vasculature distal to the interventional procedure site, and to capture embolic material which may be released into the blood in the blood vessel during the interventional procedure, including a compressing element located in the interior of the filter device, for compressing the filter device so as to enable the filter device to be inserted over the guide wire, to the position distal to the interventional procedure site, in a low profile for crossing the stenosis, and without a sheath extending about the filter device, adapted to enable release thereof so as to enable expansion of the filter device for deployment thereof, wherein the method comprises:

• compressing the filter device, comprising engaging the compressing element with the filter device;
• engaging the compressed filter device for movement along the guide wire;
• delivering the compressed filter device along the guide wire in a low profile for crossing the stenosis and without a sheath extending thereabout, to the location in the patient's vasculature distal to the interventional procedure site while the proximal end of the guide wire remains outside of the blood vessel;
• and
• releasing the compressing element so as to release the filter device from compression thereof, for expansion and deployment of the filter device.

A method of enabling the capture of embolic material which may be released into a blood vessel during a therapeutic interventional procedure at a site of a stenosis, in a system which comprises a guide wire, including a distal end, adapted to be positioned within the blood vessel and to extend to a position distal to an interventional procedure site and a proximal end, adapted to remain outside of the blood vessel during the therapeutic procedure, and a filter device having an interior and an exterior, adapted to be positioned and deployed at a location in the patient's vasculature distal to the interventional procedure site, and to capture embolic material which may be released into the blood in the blood vessel during the interventional procedure, including a compressing element located in the interior of the filter device, for compressing the filter device so as to enable the filter device to be inserted over the guide wire, to the position distal to the interventional procedure site, in a low profile for crossing the stenosis, and without a sheath extending about the filter device, adapted to enable release thereof so as to enable expansion of the filter device for deployment thereof, wherein the method comprises:

• compressing the filter device, comprising engaging the compressing element with the filter device;
• engaging the compressed filter device with the distal end of the guide wire;
• delivering the compressed filter device engaged with the guide wire in a low profile for crossing the stenosis and without a sheath extending thereabout, to the location in the patient's vasculature distal to the interventional procedure site while the proximal end of the guide wire remains outside of the blood vessel;
• and
• releasing the compressing element so as to release the filter device from compression thereof, for expansion and deployment of the filter device, wherein the compressing element comprises an engageable element in the filter device, adapted to enable engagement therewith so as to compress the filter device, and an engaging element, adapted to enable engagement thereof with the engageable element so as to compress the filter device, and to enable release thereof from engagement with the engageable element for enabling expansion of the filter device and deployment thereof, wherein compressing comprises engaging the engageable element with the filter device, and releasing comprises releasing the engaging element from engagement with the engageable element.

A method of enabling the capture of embolic material which may be released into a blood vessel during a therapeutic interventional procedure at a site of a stenosis, in a system which comprises a guide wire, including a distal end, adapted to be positioned within the blood vessel and to extend to a position distal to an interventional procedure site and a proximal end, adapted to remain outside of the blood vessel during the therapeutic procedure, and a filter device having an interior and an exterior, adapted to be positioned and deployed at a location in the patient's vasculature distal to the interventional procedure site, and to capture embolic material which may be released into the blood in the blood vessel during the interventional procedure, including a compressing element located in the interior of the filter device, for compressing the filter device so as to enable the filter device to be inserted over the guide wire, to the position distal to the interventional procedure site, in a low profile for crossing the stenosis, and without a sheath extending about the filter device, adapted to enable release thereof so as to enable expansion of the filter device for deployment thereof, wherein the method comprises:

• compressing the filter device, comprising engaging the compressing element with the filter device;
• engaging the compressed filter device with the distal end of the guide wire;
• delivering the compressed filter device engaged with the guide wire in a low profile for crossing the stenosis and without a sheath extending thereabout, to the location in the patient's vasculature distal to the interventional procedure site while the proximal end of the guide wire remains outside of the blood vessel;
• and
• releasing the compressing element so as to release the filter device from compression thereof, for expansion and deployment of the filter device, wherein the guide wire includes a stop member, adapted to be secured to the distal end of the guide wire, and within the filter device, for enabling the compressing element to bear against the stop member for enabling release of the compressing element for expansion and deployment of the filter device, and wherein releasing comprises bearing the compressing element against the stop member.

A system for capturing embolic material in a body vessel, comprising:

• a guide wire;
• a stop member disposed on the guide wire;
• a filter device slidably disposed on the guide wire, the filter device having an interior and an exterior and including a self-expanding cage and a filter element attached to the self-expanding cage, the self-expanding cage being movable between a compressed delivery position and a deployed position;
• and
• a compressing element located in the interior of the filter device for compressing and maintaining the self-expanding cage in the compressed delivery position, the compressing element being removably connected to the self-expanding cage and adapted to disengage from the self-expanding cage by movement between the stop member against the compressing member which allows the self-expanding cage to move into the deployed position.