Methods and apparatus for filtering a body lumen

A method of making a spiral filter for a body lumen, the method comprising:

• forming a body from an elongate member having a cylindrical, spiral configuration having loops encircling an axis extending along the length of the body, the body being sized to be implanted into a body lumen to transition from a compressed cylindrical state to a deployed cylindrical state;
• and
• forming a first group of a plurality of members positioned around at least one loop of the body at a first position on the axis, the first group of the plurality of members being oriented towards the axis at a first angle, the first group of the plurality of members being arranged to lyse particulates of a selected size;
• and
• forming a second group of a plurality of members positioned around at least one loop of the body at a second position on the axis, and radiating towards the axis of the filter at a second angle, the second group of the plurality of members being oriented to inhibit particulates of another selected size from passing through the body, the second group of the plurality of members being dimensioned to allow blood components smaller than the selected size and the another selected size to pass through the body;
• where the first angle at which the first group of the plurality of members is oriented toward the axis is different than the second angle at which the second group of the plurality of members radiates toward the axis;
• and offsetting said members in the first group from said members in the second group by a distance along the length of the body.

A method of deploying a filter in a body lumen, the method comprising:

• longitudinally elongating an implantable lumen filter such that the implantable lumen filter has a reduced dimension, the implantable lumen filter comprising:
• a body formed from an elongate member having a cylindrical, spiral configuration having loops encircling an axis extending along the length of the body, the body being sized to be implanted into a body lumen, the body being capable of transitioning from a compressed cylindrical state to a deployed cylindrical state, and
• a first group of members arranged around a loop of the body with a first end of each member attached to the body at a first position on the axis and a second end of each member configured to extend towards the axis at a first angle, said the first group of members being arranged to lyse particulates of a selected size;
• and
• a second group of members arranged around a loop of the body with a first end of each member attached to the body at a second position on the axis and a second end of each member configured to extend at a second angle towards the axis, the second group of members being oriented and dimensioned to allow blood components smaller than the selected size to pass between said second group of members;
• and where the second group of members is offset a distance along the length of the body from the first group of members;
• and where the first angle at which the first group of members extends toward the axis is different than the second angle at which the second group of members extends towards the axis;
• and
• loading the implantable lumen filter in a delivery system.

A method of retrieving a filter in a body lumen, the method comprising:

• locating a filter deployed in the body lumen at a deployment site, the filter comprising:
• a body formed from an elongate member having a cylindrical, spiral configuration having loops encircling an axis extending along the length of the body, the body being sized to be implanted into a body lumen to transition from a compressed cylindrical state to a deployed cylindrical state,
• a first group of members arranged around a loop of the body at a first position on the axis and configured to extend towards the axis at a first angle, said first group of members being arranged to lyse particulates of a selected size;
• and
• a second group of members arranged around a loop of the body at a second position on the axis and configured to extend towards the axis at a second angle, the second group of members being oriented and dimensioned to allow blood components smaller than the selected size to pass between said second group of members;
• where the second group of members is offset a distance from the first group of members along the length of the body;
• and
• where the first angle at which the first group of members is oriented toward the axis is different than the second angle at which the second group of members radiates toward the axis;
• delivering a retrieving mechanism to the deployment site of the filter in the body lumen;
• capturing the filter with the retrieving mechanism;
• and
• retrieving the filter from the body lumen by retracting the retrieving mechanism.