CPC A61F 2/01 (2013.01) [A61F 2/011 (2020.05); A61F 2002/016 (2013.01); A61F 2002/018 (2013.01); A61F 2/07 (2013.01); A61F 2002/075 (2013.01); A61F 2210/0004 (2013.01); A61F 2210/0014 (2013.01); A61F 2220/0016 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0006 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0067 (2013.01); A61F 2230/0091 (2013.01); A61F 2250/001 (2013.01)] | 2 Claims |
1. A method of deploying a blood vessel filter in a blood vessel having a blood vessel wall, the filter comprising:
a) a circumferentially extending rounded filter frame having an open interior portion and a first maximum width;
b) multiple transverse filaments that are spaced circumferentially around said frame, said filaments spanning across the open interior portion;
c) wherein said filaments form a mesh like surface that allows fluid and blood cells to pass through but that captures blood clots;
d) a catheter having a lumen with a lumen diameter that is smaller than said first maximum width;
e) said filter frame having a deployed configuration wherein said frame is expanded into the first maximum width and a storage configuration having a storage width that is smaller than said first maximum width of said deployed configuration; and
f) one or more hooks on said frame that are positioned to anchor said frame to a blood vessel wall;
and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
moving said filter frame from said deployed configuration to said storage configuration by twisting said frame into a configuration that includes multiple rounded subsections, each said subsection having a width that is smaller than said first maximum width; and
bending the frame of the rounded subsections into a generally circular configuration that enables the filter frame to occupy said catheter lumen,
loading the filter into said catheter for delivery to the blood vessel.
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