Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Abbott Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Medtronic, Inc.

William Joseph Boyle

Benjamin C Huter

Scott Jason Huter

Andy Edward Denison

Richard S Stack

John E Papp

Paul F Muller

Kent C B Stalker

Charles R Peterson

John D Whitfield

James M Shy

Wayne E Cornish

John Francis Boylan

Christopher J Tarapata

Chicheng Wang

Raleigh A Purtzer

Rosalinda A Wong

David H Burkett

Arkady Kokish

Udayan G Patel

Anuja H Patel

Samir R Patel

Francisco Sanchez

Donald Schwarten

Paul V Neale

Don H Tran

Christopher C Andrews

Debashis Dutta

Peter A Lunn

Kevin Martin Magrini

William James Harrison

Gary Schneiderman

Kathern J Lind

Steven T Saville

Paul W Krejol

Michael R Shevlin

Thomas A Hassing

Thomas H Majcher

Sergio Correa

Brad Jordan

A guide wire for use in a medical procedure having a shapeable tip integral with and made from the distal end of a superelastic nitinol distal section of the guide wire, wherein the shapeable tip can be finger kinked. Such a guide wire includes an elongated core made from a superelastic nitinol alloy at the distal end, the distal end of the elongated core having a tapered section leading to a shapeable distal tip. The shapeable tip is an extension of the distal end of the nitinol distal section, and includes permanent strain hardening from at least two different radial directions imparting crystallographic texture in the radial directions that eliminate superelasticity so that permanent deformation can be achieved with finger pressure.

Nickel&#x2014;titanium core guide wire

An embolic protection device for use in a blood vessel when an interventional procedure is being performed in a stenosed or occluded region to capture any embolic material which may be created and released into the bloodstream during the procedure. The device includes a filtering assembly having a self-expanding strut assembly and a filter element attached thereto. In one embodiment, the filtering assembly is attached to the distal end of a guidewire and is deployed within the patient's vasculature as the guidewire is manipulated into the area of treatment. A restraining sheath placed over the filtering assembly in a coaxial arrangement maintains the filtering assembly in its collapsed position until it is ready to be deployed by the physician. Thereafter, the sheath can be retracted to expose the filtering assembly which will then self-expand within the patient's vasculature. Interventional devices can be delivered over the guidewire and any embolic debris created during the interventional procedure and released into the blood stream will enter the filtering assembly and be captured therein. Other embodiments include filtering assemblies attached to an outer tubular member and inner shaft member which apply axial force to the distal ends of the assembly to either expand or contract the struts as needed.

Embolic protection devices

Nickel-titanium core guide wire

A deployment control system provides controlled deployment of an embolic protection device which may include a guide wire, an expandable filter attached to the guide wire near its distal end, and a restraining sheath that maintains the expanded filter in a collapsed position. The deployment control system includes a torque control device which allows the physician to torque the guide wire into the patient's anatomy and a mechanism for preventing the guide wire from buckling as the restraining sheath is being retracted to deploy the expandable filter. A recovery control system for recovering the embolic protection device includes an inner catheter which extends within a lumen of an outer recovery sheath in a coaxial arrangement. A distal portion of the inner catheter extends beyond another recovery sheath during advancement of the recovery system into the vasculature. The recovery sheath can be advanced over the inner catheter to collapse the expandable filter. The proximal ends of the inner catheter and recovery sheath include handle portions having snap mechanisms which hold the components together as the recovery system is being advanced into the patient's vasculature.

Delivery and recovery sheaths for medical devices

An embolic filtering system includes a guide wire, a filter device disposed on the guide wire, a sheath adapted to maintain the filter device in an unexpanded position and a torque device having a lumen for receiving the guide wire and a locking mechanism for locking the torque device to the guide wire. The torque device may include a side port adapted to receive the proximal end of the sheath to allow a portion of the guide wire to shear the sheath from the guide wire through retraction of the sheath through the side port. The torque device may include an extension arm having a distal opening adapted to receive both the guide wire and the sheath. A second lumen may be used to allow a portion of the guide wire to shear the sheath away from the guide wire through retraction of the sheath through the second lumen.

Embolic filtering devices

A self-expanding basket for use in conjunction with an embolic filtering device has a proximal set of struts which are connected to a distal set of struts by a bending region which provides enhanced bending characteristics to the basket. The bending region can be formed by intermediate links which are extremely flexible and bendable to allow the basket to be delivered through tortuous anatomy. The intermediate links are extremely flexible and create a mechanical hinge-like connection between the proximal and distal strut assemblies. The basket thus is capable of substantial bending when being delivered through the patient's vasculature and will bend and conform to the patient's anatomy once positioned for filtering purposes. The intermediate links can also lengthen, when needed, when positioned in a curved vessel in the patient's vasculature, when needed. As a result, the basket will easily conform to a curved body vessel to maintain proper wall apposition of the filtering element with the wall of the body vessel.

A self-expanding cage for use in conjunction with an embolic filtering device includes one or more circumferential members adapted to expand from an unexpanded position to a expanded position within the patient's body vessel. At least one proximal strut and at least one distal strut are attached to the circumferential member to form the basket. The circumferential member may include a plurality of bending regions which enhance the ability of the circumferential member to move between the unexpanded and expanded positions. The proximal and distal struts can be attached to one of the bending regions. When two or more circumferential members are utilized, each member may be connected by a connecting strut which may be connected at a bending region. The connecting strut can be a straight segment or may have a non-linear shape to provide additional flexibility. The expandable cage can be mounted to a elongated member, such as a guide wire, and can be either permanently mounted or rotatably mounted thereto.

Flexible and conformable embolic filtering devices

A system for enabling the insertion and removal of an embolic protection device, for capturing and retaining embolic debris which may be created during the performance of a therapeutic interventional procedure in a stenosed or occluded region of a blood vessel. The system, in an embodiment thereof, enables the device to be compressed for insertion thereof through a patient's vasculature so as to cross the stenosis in a low profile, and to enable release of compression thereof for expansion and deployment of the device at a location distal to the interventional procedure site.

Sheathless embolic protection system

An embolic filtering device for use in a bifurcated vessel includes delivery device having a first guide wire and a second guide wire. The second guide wire diverges from the distal-end region of the first guide wire. The filter device also includes a filter support having a first deployment member and a second deployment member. These deployment members can be formed as a first loop and a second loop. A bifurcated filter element is coupled to the filter support. The distal-end region of the first guide wire extends through a first leg of the filter element and the second guide wire extends through a second leg of the filter element. During use, the first leg of the filter element is deployed within a first branch of the bifurcated vessel and the second leg of the filter element is deployed within a second branch of the bifurcated vessel.

Embolic filtering devices for bifurcated vessels

A delivery system for an expandable filter device includes a dual lumen delivery sheath which has a lumen for receiving the expandable filter device and a lumen for receiving a primary guide wire. The primary guide wire is utilized to place the delivery sheath and expandable filter into the desired region of the patient's vasculature via an over-the-wire or rapid-exchange arrangement. The delivery sheath can be protracted over the expandable filter device to allow the filter to be deployed within the patient's vasculature at the desired location. The delivery system can be embodied in an alternative design in which the primary guide wire extends through a guide wire lumen located in an obturator which forms part of the expandable filter device. Again, the primary guide wire is utilized to maneuver the filter device into the desired area via an over-the-wire arrangement. A slit extending longitudinally along the length of the sheath facilitates the removal of the guide wire and delivery sheath from the patient's vasculature.

Delivery systems for embolic filter devices

A self-expanding cage for use in conjunction with an embolic filtering device includes a circumferential member adapted to expand from an unexpanded position to a expanded position within the patient's body vessel. A proximal strut and distal strut are attached to the circumferential member to form the cage. A plurality of proximal and distal struts may be attached the circumferential member. Additionally, a second circumferential member can be attached to the first circumferential member. Each circumferential member can be connected by a single or a plurality of connecting struts. One embodiment of the cage utilizes a single wire to form to the cage. A delivery system attached to the single wire cage moves the cage and its associated filter element between the expanded and unexpanded positions through relative movement of the distal delivery system. This can be accomplished by either torquing the guide wire onto which the expandable cage is mounted or by longitudinally moving a tubular member which forms part of the delivery system longitudinally in relation to the guide wire.

Expandable cages for embolic filtering devices

Growing community of inventors

Fallbrook, CA, United States of America

William Joseph Boyle