Self-opening filter with wire actuation
A distal protection device that may include a guidewire having a proximal end and a distal end, a filter disposed on the guidewire, the filter including filtering material and an expandable hollow coil, and a wire at least partially disposed within the coil, wherein the filter is actuatable from a closed position to an open position by reducing tension on the wire and methods of use thereof.
1. A distal protection device comprising:
a guidewire having a proximal end and a distal end;
a filter disposed on the guidewire, the filter including filtering material and an expandable hollow coil; wherein the filtering material defines a proximally facing cavity having a mouth and wherein the coil circumscribes the mouth; and
a wire attached to a distal end of the coil and at least partially disposed within the coil;
wherein the filter is actuatable from a closed position to an open position by reducing tension on the wire.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the coil comprises a plurality of loops and wherein the loops are spaced apart in the open position of the filter and spaced closer together in the closed position.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the loops abut in the closed position.
4. The device of claim 2 wherein the loops are made from nitinol.
5. The device of claim 2 wherein the loops comprise wire having a circular cross-section.
6. The device of claim 2 wherein the loops comprise wire having a rectangular cross-section.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the coil has a first end that is fixed.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein the coil has a second end that is fixed.
9. The device of claim 7 wherein the coil has a second end attached only to the filtering material.
10. The device of claim 1 further comprising
a slider tube disposed on the guidewire;
a stop disposed proximal of the slider tube; and
wherein the filter is attached to the slider tube.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein the guidewire comprises a hollow portion having a lumen.
12. The device of claim 11 wherein the guidewire comprises an opening from the guidewire lumen proximal the filter and wherein the wire is at least partially disposed in the lumen.
13. The device of claim 11 wherein the guidewire comprises a solid portion proximal the hollow portion.
14. The device of claim 13 wherein the solid portion is between 100 and 140 centimeters in length.
15. The device of claim 1 wherein the wire is a polymeric member.
16. The device of claim 1 wherein the wire is a component that has high tensile strength and low columnar strength.
17. The device of claim 1 wherein the wire is Kevlar string.
18. A method of opening a distal protection filter comprising the steps of
providing a filter disposed on a guidewire, the filter having filtering material attached to a hollow coil; wherein filtering material defines a proximally facing cavity having a mouth and wherein the coil circumscribes the mouth;
providing a wire in tension attached to a distal end of the coil and disposed partially in the coil, the wire tension keeping the coil in a compacted configuration; and
releasing the tension in the wire to allow the coil to expand to an open configuration and thereby open the filter.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of releasing the tension in the wire comprises the step of moving the wire distally relative to the guidewire.
20. A distal protection device comprising
an elongate member having a proximal end and a distal end;
a filter disposed on the elongate member, the filter including a filtering material connected to a hollow expandable wherein the filtering material defines a proximally facing cavity having a mouth and wherein the coil circumscribes the mouth; and, the coil having a first end and a second end and defining a lumen therebetween; and
a wire threaded through the lumen of the coil, the wire being attached to the first end and extending out from the second end; and wherein the filter is actuatable from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration by reducing tension on the wire.
21. The device of claim 20 wherein the coil comprises a plurality of loops that are spaced apart when the filter is in the expanded configuration and spaced more closely together when the filter is in the collapsed configuration.
22. The device of claim 21 wherein the loops abut when the filter is in the collapsed configuration.
23. The device of claim 20 wherein the filter is actuatable between the expanded configuration and the collapsed configuration by the application of tension to the wire.
24. The device of claim 20 wherein the filter is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration by pulling the wire proximally.