A vessel filter comprising a first region and a second region wherein the filter is movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel. A first region has a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter and the second region is flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The second region includes a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion. The first region includes a plurality of spaced apart elongated struts with adjacent struts being joined.
1. A vessel filter comprising an integral member having a first region and a second region, the filter movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first region having a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter, the first region including a plurality of spaced apart elongated struts and a plurality of connecting struts extending at an angle from the elongated struts, adjacent connecting struts being joined to form closed geometric shapes only in the first region and at a proximal portion of the first region, the closed geometric shapes forming a ring about the filter and the filter devoid of closed geometric shapes proximal to the ring and distal to the ring, the second region forming a mounting region being flared to progressively increase in diameter in the second region to minimize contact with the vessel wall, the second region flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the filter portion, the second region including a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion, the second region being devoid of connecting struts, wherein the connecting struts are formed by a division of the elongated struts in the first region into two substantially equal connecting struts, the connecting struts having a width less than a width of the elongated struts along their length, the connecting struts joining to transition into elongated struts extending through the second region.
2. The vessel filter of claim 1 , wherein the connecting strut extending from one elongated strut angles toward the connecting strut of an adjacent elongated strut and the connecting struts are joined at a joining region, and an elongated strut extends distally and uninterrupted from each of the joining regions.
3. The vessel filter of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the elongated strut extending from the joining region is rotated about its longitudinal axis out of a plane so the vessel engaging portion is bent out of the plane of the strut.
4. The vessel filter of claim 1 , wherein the closed geometric shapes are substantially diamond shaped areas.
5. The vessel filter of claim 1 , wherein the vessel engaging portion includes a vessel engaging hook at a terminal end of each elongated strut in the mounting region.
6. The vessel filter of claim 5 , wherein the connecting strut extending from one elongated strut angles toward the connecting strut of an adjacent elongated strut and the connecting struts are joined at a joining region, and an elongated strut extends from each of the joining regions and has a longitudinal axis, the elongated strut is twisted about the longitudinal axis so the vessel engaging hook lies out of the plane of the elongated strut, the elongated strut is twisted about the longitudinal axis so that a first portion proximal of the twist of the elongated strut extends along its length in a distal direction and a second portion of the elongated strut distal of the twist extends along its length in the distal direction.
7. The vessel filter of claim 1 , wherein connecting struts are joined at a joining region, and elongated struts extend from the joining region through the second region, the elongated struts having a constant width along their length extending from the joining region.
8. The vessel filter of claim 1 , wherein the converging region terminates in a tubular portion and each of the elongated struts in the first region extends outwardly from the tubular portion.
9. The vessel filter of claim 1 , further comprising a tubular portion, the elongated struts extending from the tubular portion.
10. The vessel filter of claim 9 , wherein the vessel engaging portion includes a vessel engaging hook, and wherein the connecting strut extending from one elongated strut angles toward the connecting strut of an adjacent elongated strut and the connecting struts are joined at a joining region, and an elongated strut extends from each of the joining regions and has a longitudinal axis, and a portion of the elongated strut is twisted about its longitudinal axis so the vessel engaging hook lies out of the plane of the elongated strut and a portion of the elongated strut between the twist and the vessel engaging hook extends in a direction opposite from the filter portion.
11. The vessel filter of claim 1 , wherein the converging region includes a tubular portion and a retrieval hook is formed in the tubular portion.
12. A vessel filter comprising an integral member having a first region and a second region, the filter movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first region having a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter, the first region including a plurality of spaced apart elongated struts and a plurality of connecting struts extending at an angle from the elongated struts, adjacent connecting struts being joined to form closed geometric shapes only in the first region, the second region forming a mounting region being flared to progressively increase in diameter in the second region to minimize contact with the vessel wall, to have a transverse dimension in the expanded position increasing toward a second end portion opposite the filter portion, the second region including a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion, the second region being devoid of connecting struts, wherein in the collapsed position of the filter, the filter has a plurality of elongated struts extending from a proximal tubular region to a distal hook region, and a single elongated slot is formed in each of the elongated struts.
13. A vessel filter comprising an integral member having a first region and a second region, the filter movable between a collapsed position for delivery to the vessel and an expanded position for placement within the vessel, the first region having a filter portion having a converging region to direct particles toward the center of the filter, the first region including a plurality of spaced apart elongated struts and a plurality of connecting struts extending at an angle from the elongated struts, adjacent connecting struts being joined to form closed geometric shapes only in the first region and at a proximal portion of the first region, the closed geometric shapes forming a ring about the filter and the filter devoid of closed geometric shapes proximal to the ring and distal to the ring, the second region forming a mounting region being flared to progressively increase in diameter in the second region to minimize contact with the vessel wall, the second region flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second end portion opposite the filter portion, the second region including a vessel engaging portion at the second end portion, the second region being devoid of connecting struts, wherein in the collapsed position of the filter, the filter has a plurality of elongated struts extending from a proximal tubular region to a distal hook region, and a single elongated slot is formed in each of the elongated struts.