US Patent:
20020161395, Oct 31, 2002
Inventors:
Nareak Douk - Lowell MA, US
Nasser Rafiee - Andover MA, US
Peter Strickler - Tewksbury MA, US
Michael Noone - Londonberry NH, US
Mukund Patel - San Jose CA, US
Jeffrey Nool - San Jose CA, US
Celso Bagaoisan - Union City CA, US
Hung Ha - San Jose CA, US
International Classification:
A61M029/00
Abstract:
A guide wire apparatus for prevention of distal atheroembolization during percutaneous catheter intervention procedures, such as angioplasty or stent deployment. An expandable protection element, such as a self-expanding or self-collapsing filter or occluder, is mountable adjacent the distal end of a core wire, which can guide a therapeutic catheter. Relative displacement of the ends of the protection element causes transformation of the protection element between a closed configuration and an expanded configuration that spans the vessel to be treated. An operator rod, which may be a hollow rod or an interventional catheter, may be slidably disposed over the core wire to engage with and either push or pull the proximal end of the protection element to cause transformation thereof.
