Devices for therapeutic vascular procedures

1. A device for treatment of an aneurysm within a patient's vasculature, comprising:

a self-expanding resilient permeable shell having a proximal end, a distal end, a distal hub, and a longitudinal axis, the shell comprising a plurality of elongate resilient filaments having a braided structure, wherein the plurality of filaments are secured by the distal hub, wherein a distal region of at least some of the plurality of filaments that extend in a generally radial direction beyond the distal hub of the permeability shell is unraveled and straight and form an extension having a generally circular shape configured to atraumatically track around a diameter of the aneurysm when expanded, wherein a distal end of each of the at least some of the plurality of filaments that extend beyond the distal hub define a perimeter of the generally circular shape, and wherein, when expanded, a substantial length of a distal end region of each of the at least some of the plurality of filaments has longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the permeable shell;

wherein the permeable shell has a radially constrained elongated state configured for delivery within a microcatheter and has an expanded state with a globular, axially shortened configuration relative to the radially constrained state, the permeable shell having a plurality of openings formed between the braided filaments.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distal hub is a cylindrical hub having a proximal and distal end, and wherein the extension extends from the distal end of the cylindrical hub.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filaments extending beyond the distal hub of the permeable shell each have a distal end, and wherein the distal ends of the plurality of filaments extending beyond the distal hub of the permeable shell define a circumference of the generally circular shape.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate resilient filaments of the permeable shell include nitinol wires.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate resilient filaments of the permeable shell include drawn filled tubes.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the drawn filled tubes comprise an external nitinol tube and a highly radiopaque material concentrically disposed within the external tube.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate resilient filaments of the permeable shell include nitinol wires and drawn filled tubes.

8. A method for treating a cerebral aneurysm, comprising the steps of:

advancing an implant within a microcatheter to a region near the cerebral aneurysm, the implant comprising:

a self-expanding resilient permeable shell having a proximal end, a distal end, a distal hub, and a longitudinal axis, the shell comprising a plurality of elongate resilient filaments having a braided structure, wherein the plurality of filaments are secured by the distal hub, wherein a distal region of at least some of the plurality of filaments extend beyond the distal hub of the permeability shell and form an extension having a generally circular shape when expanded, wherein a distal end of each of the at least some of the plurality of filaments that extend beyond the distal hub define a perimeter of the generally circular shape;

wherein the permeable shell has a radially constrained elongated state configured for delivery within a microcatheter and has an expanded state with a globular, axially shortened configuration relative to the radially constrained state, the permeable shell having a plurality of openings formed between the braided filaments,

deploying the implant within the cerebral aneurysm, wherein the proximal end of the implant is positioned near a neck of the cerebral aneurysm, the extension is positioned in the cerebral aneurysm near a dome of the cerebral aneurysm and assuming the generally circular shape, and the permeable shell assumes the expanded deployed state within the cerebral aneurysm; and

withdrawing the microcatheter from the region near the cerebral aneurysm after deploying the implant.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distal hub is a cylindrical hub having a proximal and distal end, and wherein the extension extends from the distal end of the cylindrical hub.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of filaments extending beyond the distal hub of the permeable shell each have a distal end, and wherein the distal ends of the plurality of filaments extending beyond the distal hub of the permeable shell define a circumference of the circular shape.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distal regions of the at least some of the plurality of filaments forming the extension are braided.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the braided distal regions are at least partially unraveled.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distal regions of the at least some of the plurality of filaments forming the extension are partially braided.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the extension having a generally circular shape when expanded applies a biasing force on the dome cerebral aneurysm.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the elongate resilient filaments of the permeable shell include nitinol wires.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the elongate resilient filaments of the permeable shell include drawn filled tubes.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the elongate resilient filaments of the permeable shell include nitinol wires and drawn filled tubes.

18. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distal region of the at least some of the plurality of filaments forming the extension is unbraided.

19. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distal region of the at least some of the plurality of filaments forming the extension is unraveled.

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distal region of the at least some of the plurality of filaments forming the extension is straight.