Distal protection devices having controllable wire motion

1. A method of filtering emboli from blood flowing through the lumen of a vessel comprising:

providing a distal protection device including a guidewire, the guidewire having first and second elongate members and having a locked configuration in which the first elongate member is not moveable with respect to the second elongate member and an unlocked configuration in which the first elongate member is moveably connected to the second elongate member, and a filter carried by the second elongate member, the filter being expandable from a delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration;

locking the first elongate member to the second elongate member so that their relative positions are fixed;

introducing the guidewire and filter in its delivery configuration into the lumen of the vessel;

advancing the guidewire through the vessel until the filter is positioned at a desired location distal to the treatment site;

expanding the filter within the lumen of the vessel to its expanded deployed configuration;

unlocking the first elongate member from the second elongate member so that the first elongate member is moveable with respect to the second elongate member over a range of motion from a first relative position to a second relative position without resulting in movement of the second elongate member; and

filtering emboli from blood flowing through the lumen of the vessel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising advancing a treatment device over the guidewire to a treatment site after the first elongate member has been unlocked from the second elongate member.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising performing a percutaneous procedure at the treatment site with the treatment device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising removing the treatment device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising contracting the filter to a retrieval configuration and removing the guidewire and filter from the vessel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter comprises a body defining a proximally facing opening when in the expanded deployed configuration.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first elongate member has a tubular body having a lumen with an interior diameter and the second elongate member has a first region with an exterior diameter less than the interior diameter of the lumen of the tubular body, the first region being slideably received in the lumen of the tubular body.

8. A method of occluding blood flow through the lumen of a vessel comprising:

providing a distal protection device including a guidewire, the guidewire having first and second elongate members and having a locked configuration in which the first elongate member is not moveable with respect to the second elongate member and an unlocked configuration in which the first elongate member is moveably connected to the second elongate member, and an occlusive device carried by the second elongate member, the occlusive device being expandable from a delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration;

locking the first elongate member to the second elongate member so that their relative positions are fixed;

introducing the guidewire and occlusive device in its delivery configuration into the lumen of the vessel;

advancing the guidewire through the vessel until the occlusive device is positioned at a desired location distal to the treatment site;

expanding the occlusive device to its expanded deployed configuration to occlude the lumen of the vessel; and

unlocking the first elongate member from the second elongate member so that the first elongate member is moveable with respect to the second elongate member over a range of motion from a first relative position to a second relative position without resulting in movement of the second elongate member.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising advancing a treatment device over the guidewire to a treatment site after the first elongate member has been unlocked from the second elongate member.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising performing a percutaneous procedure at the treatment site with the treatment device while the lumen of the vessel is occluded.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising removing the treatment device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising contracting the occlusive device to a retrieval configuration and removing the guidewire and occlusive device from the vessel.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising removing emboli from the blood in the occluded vessel at a location proximal to the occlusive device.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the first elongate member has a tubular body having a lumen with an interior diameter and the second elongate member has a first region with an exterior diameter less than the interior diameter of the lumen of the tubular body, the first region being slideably received in the lumen of the tubular body.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the occlusive device comprises an inflatable balloon.

16. A method of filtering emboli from blood flowing through the lumen of a vessel comprising:

providing a distal protection device including a guidewire, the guidewire having first and second elongate members and having a locked configuration in which the first elongate member is not moveable with respect to the second elongate member and an unlocked configuration in which the first elongate member is moveably connected to the second elongate member, and a filter carried by the second elongate member, the filter being expandable from a delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration;

locking the first elongate member to the second elongate member so that their relative positions are fixed;

introducing the guidewire and filter in its delivery configuration into the lumen of the vessel;

advancing the guidewire through the vessel until the filter is positioned at a desired location distal to the treatment site;

expanding the filter within the lumen of the vessel to its expanded deployed configuration;

unlocking the first elongate member from the second elongate member so that the first elongate member is moveable with respect to the second elongate member over a range of motion from a first relative position to a second relative position without resulting in movement of the filter; and

filtering emboli from blood flowing through the lumen of the vessel.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising advancing a treatment device over the guidewire to a treatment site after the first elongate member has been unlocked from the second elongate member.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising performing a percutaneous procedure at the treatment site with the treatment device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising removing the treatment device.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising contracting the filter to a retrieval configuration and removing the guidewire and filter from the vessel.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter comprises a body defining a proximally facing opening when in the expanded deployed configuration.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the first elongate member has a tubular body having a lumen with an interior diameter and the second elongate member has a first region with an exterior diameter less than the interior diameter of the lumen of the tubular body, the first region being slideably received in the lumen of the tubular body.

23. A method of occluding blood flow through the lumen of a vessel comprising:

providing a distal protection device including a guidewire, the guidewire having first and second elongate members and having a locked configuration in which the first elongate member is not moveable with respect to the second elongate member and an unlocked configuration in which the first elongate member is moveably connected to the second elongate member, and an occlusive device carried by the second elongate member, the occlusive device being expandable from a delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration;

locking the first elongate member to the second elongate member so that their relative positions are fixed;

introducing the guidewire and occlusive device in its delivery configuration into the lumen of the vessel;

advancing the guidewire through the vessel until the occlusive device is positioned at a desired location distal to the treatment site;

expanding the occlusive device to its expanded deployed configuration to occlude the lumen of the vessel; and

unlocking the first elongate member from the second elongate member so that the first elongate member is moveable with respect to the second elongate member over a range of motion from a first relative position to a second relative position without resulting in movement of the occlusive device.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising advancing a treatment device over the guidewire to a treatment site after the first elongate member has been unlocked from the second elongate member.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising performing a percutaneous procedure at the treatment site with the treatment device while the lumen of the vessel is occluded.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising removing the treatment device.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising contracting the occlusive device to a retrieval configuration and removing the guidewire and occlusive device from the vessel.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising removing emboli from the blood in the occluded vessel at a location proximal to the occlusive device.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the first elongate member has a tubular body having a lumen with an interior diameter and the second elongate member has a first region with an exterior diameter less than the interior diameter of the lumen of the tubular body, the first region being slideably received in the lumen of the tubular body.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the occlusive device comprises an inflatable balloon.