Vena cava filter

1. An implantable medical device having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal dimension, the device including:

a material capture element comprising a plurality of first wires extending from the first end to define a generally closed conical deployed shape with a narrow end disposed at or proximate the first end of the device, and a wide end facing the second end of the device, the material capture element having a zone of wider radial dimension providing a first vessel contact site of the device, the material capture element comprising a plurality of second wires, each second wire being fixedly attached to a first wire at a first connection point and a second connection point to define two second wire segments attached to each first wire in circumferentially opposing directions to define a plurality of apertures, the first connection point and the second connection point being spaced apart from the first end and the second end;

a plurality of wire tethers each coupled to the material capture element at a plurality of junctions at the wide end thereof, the wire tethers extending to the second end of the device and defining a substantially open passageway for blood and particulate material therethrough, the wire tethers having portions of wider radial dimension providing a second vessel contact site of the device, the first and second contact sites being spaced from one another along the longitudinal dimension of the device;

a first retrieval element disposed at the first end of the device and coupled to the narrow end of the material capture element; and

a second retrieval element disposed at the second end of the device and coupled to the wire tethers.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the material capture element provides a substantially closed conical capture basket.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the wire tethers have a curved deployed shape providing said portions of wider radial dimension.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the wide end of the material capture element has a taper, said taper providing the zone of wider radial dimension and first vessel contact site.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second contact sites each include circumferentially spaced contact elements.

6. The device according to claim 1 including more than two contact sites along the length of the device, the contact sites being spaced from one another.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the wire tethers taper to the second end of the device.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second retrieval elements face opposing directions.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second retrieval elements include a retrieval hook.

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device is a filter.

11. A method of deploying an implantable medical device, the device having a first end and a second end and including:

a material capture element comprising a plurality of first wires extending from the first end to define a generally closed conical deployed shape with a narrow end disposed at or proximate the first end of the device, and a wide end facing the second end of the device, the material capture element having a zone of wider radial dimension providing a first vessel contact site of the device, the material capture element comprising a plurality of second wires, each second wire being fixedly attached to a first wire at a first connection point and a second connection point to define two second wire segments attached to each first wire in circumferentially opposing directions to define a plurality of apertures, the first connection point and the second connection point being spaced apart from the first end and the second end;

a plurality of wire tethers each coupled to the material capture element at a plurality of junctions at the wide end thereof, the wire tethers extending to the second end of the device and defining a substantially open passageway for blood and particulate material therethrough, the wire tethers having portions of wider radial dimension providing a second vessel contact site of the device, the first and second contact sites being spaced from one another along the longitudinal dimension of the device;

a first retrieval element disposed at the first end of the device and coupled to the narrow end of the material capture element; and

a second retrieval element disposed at the second end of the device and coupled to the wire tethers; the method including the steps of:

inserting the device endoluminally in a patient in a radially contracted configuration;

providing for expansion of the device in a vessel of the patient with the first end of the device in a downstream blood flow position relative to the second end of the device such that the material capture element is disposed with the open end thereof facing upstream; whereby the first and second contact sites maintain orientation of the device in the vessel.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

subsequently retrieving the medical device from the patient by coupling a retrieval apparatus to the second retrieval element from an upstream direction of the vessel, the retrieval apparatus including a sheath sized to receive the medical device, the wire tethers acting to pull and radially compress the material capture element into the sheath.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one first connection point comprises a support for a radiopaque marker.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the support comprises an annular member.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one second connection point comprises a support for a radiopaque marker.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the support comprises an annular member.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one junction comprises a support for a radiopaque marker.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the support comprises an annular member.