Intravenous filter with guidewire and catheter access guide

Abstract

A vascular filter system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the filter system comprises a dispensing needle, a guidewire and a catheter releasably attached to a filter dispenser which stores a length of filter wire. The filter wire dispenser has a guide tube which guides the filter wire into the catheter and then into a vein during surgical implantation. The filter wire is configured to form into a predetermined shape as it is deployed from the needle. The shape of the filter wire captures blood clots in the blood stream. The filter wire may be configured with a perforated section and a non-perforated section. Perforations are in fluid communication with an inner hollow lumen in the filter wire.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vascular filter system comprising:
 a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to be inserted into a blood vessel of a patient, and the proximal end configured as a filter wire dispenser connection end to connect to a filter wire dispenser;   a filter wire; and   a filter wire dispenser for storing the filter wire, the filter wire dispenser including a guide tube configured to connect to the filter wire dispenser connection end of the catheter;   the filter wire having a filter portion configured to (i) coil within or around the filter wire dispenser (ii) deploy from the filter wire dispenser to the blood vessel of the patient, to form a vascular filter within the blood vessel, and (iii) completely retract percutaneously from the blood vessel after filtering within the blood vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The vascular filter system of  claim 1 , wherein the length of filter wire includes residual stresses, surface tensions, or both to shape the length of filter wire into a predetermined shape. 
     
     
         3 . The vascular filter system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined shape is a coil shape. 
     
     
         4 . The vascular filter system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined shape is an umbrella shape. 
     
     
         5 . The vascular filter system of  claim 1 , wherein the filter wire has a first end portion associated with the filter portion with a rounded tip that is more flexible than other portions of the filter wire. 
     
     
         6 . The vascular filter system of  claim 1 , further comprising a spool configured to store the filter wire. 
     
     
         7 . The vascular filter system of  claim 1  further comprising a fixation device configured to attach to a portion of the filter wire to thereby secure the filter wire to a patient. 
     
     
         8 . A vascular filter system comprising:
 a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to be inserted into a blood vessel of a patient, and the proximal end configured as a filter wire dispenser connection end to connect to a filter wire dispenser;   a filter wire configured to form a predetermined filter shape upon deployment from the distal end of the catheter;   a filter wire dispenser for storing the filter wire, the filter wire dispenser having:
 a storage housing having a spool therein, the spool and storage housing configured to store the filter wire prior to dispensing in a patient; 
 a coupling end configured to releasably attach to the connection end of the catheter; 
 a guide between the storage housing and the coupling end configured to guide the filter wire from the storage housing to the coupling end, 
   the distal end of the catheter being configured to pass over a guide wire, the guide wire being maneuverable within the blood vessel to position the catheter at a predetermined location within the blood vessel of the patient, and the connection end of the catheter attaching to the coupling end of the filter wire dispenser while the catheter is deployed in the blood vessel of the patient.   
     
     
         9 . The vascular filter system of  claim 8 , further comprising a fixation device configured to attach to a portion of the filter wire which protrudes from the patient when in use. 
     
     
         10 . The vascular filter system of  claim 8 , wherein the filter wire includes residual stresses, surface tensions, or both configured to form the length of filter wire into a predetermined shape. 
     
     
         11 . The vascular filter system of  claim 10 , wherein the predetermined shape consists of one of the following shapes: a helix shape, a vortex shape, nested shape, an umbrella shape, and a tangled web shape. 
     
     
         12 . The vascular filter system of  claim 8 , wherein the filter wire is stored in a spool within the filter wire dispenser on the spool and the spool includes a user rotatable wheel or knob to rotate the spool, thereby dispensing the filter wire. 
     
     
         13 . The vascular filter system of  claim 8 , wherein the length of filter wire is stored linearly within the filter wire dispenser. 
     
     
         14 . A method for installing a vascular filter comprising:
 inserting a needle into a patient to access a blood vessel;   inserting a guide wire through the needle into the blood vessel;   removing the needle from the patient;   inserting a catheter into the patient, such that the guide wire is within the catheter;   removing the guide wire from the patient;   connecting a filter dispenser to the catheter, the filter dispenser including a spool storing filter wire within a cavity of the filter dispenser;   dispensing a portion of the filter wire into catheter and then into the blood vessel, the portion of the filter wire dispensed into the vessel configured to form a filter.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the filter wire includes residual stresses, surface tensions, or both configured to form the filter wire into a predetermined shape within the vessel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the predetermined shape consists of one of the following shapes: a helix shape, a vortex shape, a nested shape, an umbrella shape, and a tangled web shape. 
     
     
         17 . The vascular filter system of  claim 14 , wherein the filter dispenser includes guide tube having a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the filter dispenser and the second end configured to releasably attach to the catheter. 
     
     
         18 . The vascular filter system of  claim 17 , further comprising a coupler at the second end of the guide tube to engage one or more replacement catheters. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the filter wire is stored in a spool within the filter dispenser. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the filter wire comprises a non-perforated section extending from a proximal end of the filter wire and a perforated section at a distal end of the filter wire, the perforated section being connected to the non-perforated section, and an inner passageway extending within the filter wire,
 the proximal end of the filter wire includes an opening to the inner passageway, and   the inner passageway facilitates the flow of medication from the opening to the perforated section of the filter wire.