Vascular filters, deflectors, and methods

Abstract

Vascular filters and deflectors and methods for filtering bodily fluids. A blood filtering assembly can capture embolic material dislodged or generated during an endovascular procedure to inhibit or prevent the material from entering the cerebral vasculature. A blood deflecting assembly can deflect embolic material dislodged or generated during an endovascular procedure to inhibit or prevent the material from entering the cerebral vasculature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A kit adapted to inhibit embolic material from entering cerebral vasculature, the kit comprising:
 A first protection device comprising:
 A first filter assembly having a distal-facing opening, the first filter assembly being deployable from within an outer sheath, 
 wherein the first filter assembly includes an inner member having a guidewire lumen and is configured to be deployed in a left vertebral artery or in a left subclavian artery upstream of the left vertebral artery; and 
   a second protection device comprising:
 a distal filter assembly having a proximal-facing opening, the distal filter assembly being deployable from within a distal sheath, 
 wherein the distal filter assembly is configured to be deployed in a left common carotid artery; and 
 a proximal filter assembly having a distal-facing opening, the proximal filter assembly being deployable from within a proximal sheath, 
 wherein the proximal filter assembly is configured to be deployed in an innominate artery. 
   
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the first filter assembly is self-expanding when not radially constrained. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the distal filter assembly is self-expanding when not radially constrained. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal filter assembly is self-expanding when not radially constrained. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the first filter assembly is configured to be inserted and positioned independently of the distal filter assembly and the proximal filter assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the first filter assembly is configured to be inserted via the left subclavian artery. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the distal filter assembly, the proximal filter assembly, and the distal sheath are disposed coaxially within the proximal sheath in a delivery configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 7 , wherein the distal filter assembly, the proximal filter assembly, and the distal sheath are configured to be inserted together and are configured to be moved and deployed independently. 
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein the distal filter assembly, the proximal filter assembly, and the distal sheath are configured to be inserted via the innominate artery. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising an arterial pressure monitoring device in fluid communication with one of a lumen of the outer sheath and the lumen of the inner member. 
     
     
         11 . A method of inhibiting embolic material from entering cerebral vasculature, the method comprising:
 positioning a guidewire in a left subclavian artery upstream of a left vertebral artery   advancing over the guidewire a first protection device including first filter assembly disposed within an outer sheath through a left subclavian artery;   deploying the first filter assembly within a left vertebral artery or within a left subclavian artery upstream of the left vertebral artery,   wherein the first filter assembly is configured to self-expand upon removal from within the outer sheath,   wherein the first filter assembly has a distal-facing opening;   advancing a second protection device including a distal filter assembly disposed within a distal sheath and a proximal filter assembly disposed within a proximal sheath through an innominate artery;   advancing the distal filter assembly into a left common carotid artery;   deploying the distal filter assembly within the left common carotid artery,   wherein the distal filter assembly is configured to self-expand upon removal from within the distal sheath,   wherein the distal filter assembly has a proximal-facing opening;   deploying the proximal filter assembly within the innominate artery,   wherein the proximal filter assembly is configured to self-expand upon removal from within the proximal sheath, and   wherein the proximal filter assembly has a distal-facing opening.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one of proximally retracting the outer sheath and distally advancing the first filter assembly to deploy the first filter assembly from the outer sheath in the left subclavian artery upstream of the left vertebral artery. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one of proximally retracting the distal sheath and distally advancing the distal filter assembly to deploy the distal filter assembly from the distal sheath. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one of proximally retracting the proximal sheath and distally advancing the proximal filter assembly to deploy the proximal filter assembly from the proximal sheath. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising withdrawing the first protection device from the left subclavian artery. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising withdrawing the distal filter assembly of the second protection device from the left common carotid artery. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising withdrawing the proximal filter of the second protection device from the innominate artery. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising monitoring arterial pressure. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein measuring arterial pressure is accomplished by a monitoring device in fluid communication with a lumen of the outer sheath. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein measuring arterial pressure is accomplished by a monitoring device in fluid communication with a lumen of an inner member of the first protection device.