Importance

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Abstract

A catheter-deliverable filter assembly deployable in a vessel of the body in alternatively a temporary configuration enabling the filter to be removed from the vessel or a permanent configuration, and a method for its use. The filter assembly comprises an elongated support carrying spaced along its length a filter element and a anchoring element with the filter element being spaced distally from the anchoring element. Each element comprises a core mounted to the elongated support and a plurality of flexible, resilient wires extending distally from the core, the wires having proximal portions attached at one end to the core and distal portions. The wires of the anchoring element include gripping elements for gripping the walls of a vessel. The wires are so configured as to support the apices of the filter and anchoring elements substantially in the center of the vessel. The filter assembly may include a hollow flexible tether releasably attached to the proximal end of the elongated support and having a distal end portion within which are resiliently confined the wires of the anchoring element when the filter element alone is deployed.

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First Claim