| abstract |
An apparatus having multiple filters for capturing embolic material released from a lesion in an occluded body vessel being treated with an interventional procedure. The filters are placed downstream from the lesion, and the porosity of the filters decreases for each succeeding filter downstream from the lesion. Before encountering the filters, the embolic material passes a unidirectional barrier acting as a one-way valve to prevent backflow. The unidirectional barrier and filters are positioned along a plurality of arms. The arms may be fabricated from a memory metal, and the memory position of the plurality of arms is a collapsed position surrounding a common longitudinal axis. The apparatus includes an expansion member, such as a balloon, which inflates to move the plurality of arms radially outward to deploy the filters. Embolic material passes through the unidirectional barrier and is trapped between the layers of filters. When the balloon is deflated, the plurality of arms return to the memory position, collapse the unidirectional barrier and the filters, and embolic material remains trapped between the layers of filters. |