Infusion system having filtration device and method

1. An infusion system comprising:

an infusion catheter defining a fluid passage extending between a proximal catheter end and a distal catheter end, and further having a plurality of infusion ports in communication with the fluid passage and defining an infusion zone; and

a filtration device retrofitted upon the infusion catheter and including a control sleeve defining a longitudinal axis and including a proximal control sleeve end, a distal control sleeve end, and a handle coupled with, and bonded to, the proximal control sleeve end and having a centerline coaxial with the longitudinal axis; a deformable filter sleeve attached directly to the control sleeve and positioned coaxially therewith, the deformable filter sleeve having an axial length, and a radial footprint inversely correlated with the axial length; and, a stop collar that includes an annular inner surface in contact with an outer surface of the infusion catheter to form a friction coupling, and the stop collar being attached directly to the deformable filter sleeve and positioned at a spacing distance from the control sleeve, and the axial length of the deformable filter sleeve being defined by the spacing distance such that moving the control sleeve with the handle toward the stop collar responsively expands the radial footprint, the deformable filter sleeve includes a mesh extending from the control sleeve to the stop collar, the filter sleeve further being coupled to the infusion catheter proximal to the infusion zone, and being deformable between a first configuration having a radially contracted footprint and a second configuration having a radially expanded footprint, responsive to sliding the control sleeve over the infusion catheter; and

the infusion catheter extending through the handle coaxial with the centerline of the handle.

2. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the filter sleeve is coupled to the infusion catheter by way of the stop collar, the stop collar being reversibly attached to the infusion catheter and irreversibly attached to the filter sleeve.

3. The infusion system of claim 2 further comprising a friction coupling between the stop collar and the infusion catheter, and having a first coefficient of slip resistance in a first direction, and a second coefficient of slip resistance in a second direction.

4. The infusion system of claim 3 wherein the first coefficient defines a first slip resistance force having a greater value, the second coefficient defines a second slip resistance force having a medium value, and the filter sleeve includes a coefficient of buckling resistance defining a buckling resistance force having a lower value.

5. The infusion system of claim 2 wherein the filter sleeve includes an open proximal end and an open distal end, each of the open proximal and distal ends being centered on the longitudinal axis.

6. The infusion system of claim 5 wherein the filter sleeve includes an expanded axial length in the first configuration, and a contracted axial length in the second configuration, and wherein the filter sleeve is in the first configuration and is deformable to the second configuration in response to sliding the control sleeve over the infusion catheter towards the stop collar.

7. The infusion system of claim 6 wherein the radially contracted footprint is axially uniform and the radially expanded footprint is axially non-uniform.

8. The infusion system of claim 5 wherein the filter sleeve includes a metallic filtration medium having a plurality of metal fibers contacting one another in each of the first and second configurations.

9. A method of performing an infusion procedure on a patient with a filtration device that includes a control sleeve defining a longitudinal axis and including a proximal control sleeve end, a distal control sleeve end, and a handle coupled with, and bonded to, the proximal control sleeve end and having a centerline coaxial with the longitudinal axis; a deformable filter sleeve attached directly to the control sleeve and positioned coaxially therewith, the deformable filter sleeve having an axial length, and a radial footprint inversely correlated with the axial length; a stop collar attached directly to the deformable filter sleeve and positioned at a spacing distance from the control sleeve, and the axial length of the deformable filter sleeve being defined by the spacing distance such that moving the control sleeve toward the stop collar responsively expands the radial footprint; and the filtration device defines a through passage sized to receive an infusion catheter, and the deformable filter sleeve includes a mesh extending from the control sleeve to the stop collar, and the stop collar includes an annular inner surface for contacting, and forming a friction coupling with, an outer surface of the infusion catheter received therethrough, the method comprising the steps of:

sliding the filtration device over the infusion catheter to a position at which the deformable filter sleeve of the filtration device is positioned proximal to a distal infusion zone of the infusion catheter and the infusion catheter extends through the handle coaxial with the centerline;

coupling the deformable filter sleeve to the infusion catheter; and

expanding the radial footprint of the deformable filter sleeve at least in part by sliding the control sleeve of the filtration device with the handle in a distal direction over the infusion catheter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of sliding further includes sliding the filtration device in a proximal direction over the infusion catheter, prior to placing the infusion catheter within the patient.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step of advancing the infusion catheter and the filtration device through a vein of the patient in a direction retrograde to a direction of blood flow through the vein.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of coupling further includes establishing a frictional coupling between the annular inner surface of the stop collar and the infusion catheter; and

the stop collar is a one-way stop collar with different coefficients of friction for movement on the infusion catheter in opposite directions along the longitudinal axis.