abstract |
An apparatus for occluding a blood vessel includes an occluder configured so that at least a portion of the occluder may assume (i) a diametrically-reduced configuration for disposition within the lumen of a tube, and (ii) a diametrically-expanded configuration for disposition adjacent to the blood vessel, such that when the at least a portion of the occluder is in its diametrically-expanded configuration adjacent to the blood vessel, the occluder will cause occlusion of the blood vessel. |