referring to the drawings , a preferred distal protection device 10 of the present invention is shown in various stages of its use . fig1 and 4 show device 10 in its fully deployed state . in one embodiment , basket 12 , which , as seen in various figures , can be generally in the shape of a windsock , is attached to a guidewire 20 , passing through a placement device or stop ( i . e ., through the lumen of a tube 18 ), by an element 14 attaching basket 12 to guidewire 20 and holding basket 12 to prevent axial and revolutional movement with respect to guidewire 20 . guidewire 20 is adapted for movement in either the distal direction , shown by arrow 24 , or the proximal direction , shown by arrow 32 . a ferrule 16 attached at the proximal end of basket 12 can enable movement of the proximal end of basket 12 along guidewire 20 in either the distal or proximal directions , as indicated by arrows 30 . when moved in a distal direction , it can , as best seen in fig1 engage stop / tube 18 . it will be understood , however , that ferrule 16 can , if desired , be axially fixed on guidewire 20 . a delivery catheter 22 is shown extending in the proximal direction relative to basket 12 with guidewire 20 passing through the lumen of catheter 22 . fig4 also shows a spacer or loop 28 attached to the proximal end of basket 12 by means of ferrule 16 . in such an embodiment , loop 28 , along with basket 12 , can concurrently float relative to guidewire 20 . when ferrule 16 serves as an element to lock loop 28 with respect to the mouth of basket 12 , loop 28 is positioned so that it is substantially axially aligned with the mouth of the basket 12 . because of the quasi - rigid nature of loop 28 , it will have the effect of urging ferrule 16 and guidewire 20 against inner wall 36 of the vessel 38 . radial expansion of loop 28 will facilitate maintenance of the mouth of basket 12 fully opened . it will be understood that , in certain embodiments , a separate element ( not shown in the figures ) could be used to maintain loop 28 proximate the proximal end of basket 12 and lock loop 28 in general axial alignment with basket 12 . when such a separate element is used , however , it would function to maintain loop 28 at a location about guidewire 20 so that loop 28 is generally axially aligned with basket 12 . such embodiments can permit positioning of loop 28 at a location proximally spaced from ferrule 16 . such spacing will enable the vessel of the body in which the basket 12 is deployed to taper to a normal diameter if the loop 28 has caused expansion . also contemplated by the invention are embodiments illustrated in fig1 and 14 . fig1 illustrates a filter basket 12 wherein the mouth of the basket is , in fact , defined by the loop 28 . in this embodiment , strands of the basket mesh 52 are interwoven about loop 28 to effectively integrate the loop 28 and basket 12 . as loop 28 engages inner wall 36 of vessel 38 , the mouth of the basket , commensurately , occupies substantially the full cross - section of vessel 38 . fig1 illustrates a basket 12 secured to guidewire 20 by means as previously discussed . loop 28 is shown as being secured to guidewire 20 by an element 56 spaced axially along guidewire 20 from the proximal end or mouth of basket 12 . in this embodiment , element 56 may permit loop 28 to revolve about guidewire 20 independently of basket 12 . tethers 54 are , however , employed to maintain a substantial axial alignment of loop 28 with the mouth of filter basket 12 . as will be seen , the invention contemplates a number of methods of maintaining a desired relationship between the spacer and the filter basket 12 . what is significant , of course , is that there be a general axial alignment maintained between the two . referring now to fig2 basket 12 is shown completely enclosed within catheter 22 . in fig3 movement of guidewire 20 in the distal direction , indicated by arrow 24 , partially removes basket 12 from catheter 22 as shown by arrows 26 . in fig5 and 6 arrows 34 show partial retraction of basket 12 and loop 28 into catheter 22 by movement of guidewire 20 in the proximal direction indicated by arrow 32 . fig7 illustrates a distal protection device basket 12 attached to a guidewire 20 extending through a tortuous path of a blood vessel . the device illustrated in fig7 is secured to guidewire 20 by means of element 14 and ferrule 16 , as was described with regard to fig1 - 6 . in fig7 however , a consequence of traversing the tortuous path of a blood vessel is illustrated . as seen , the guidewire 20 will tend to take the most direct route through the vessel and , alternatively , engage generally diametrically opposite sides of the inner wall 36 of the vessel 38 . as will be able to be seen in viewing fig7 the filter basket 12 can become partially collapsed between the run of the guidewire 20 and the inner wall 36 of the vessel 38 . the possibility would then exist that debris in the stream of flow could bypass the filter basket 12 . fig8 illustrates how use of a loop spacer 28 in accordance with the present invention overcomes this problem . loop 28 is fixedly attached to element or ferrule 16 so that it will be maintained on the same side of guidewire 20 on which filter basket 12 is maintained . because of the quasi - rigid nature of the loop 28 , when it is deployed from catheter 22 it will engage a circumferential point on the inner wall 36 of the vessel 38 generally diametrically opposite the point of connection at ferrule 16 . the rigidity of loop 28 will effectively urge guidewire 20 against a circumferential point of inner wall 36 , opposite the location of engagement of the wall by the point of loop 28 , distal with respect to the point of loop 28 ( that is , at ferrule 16 ). in consequence , filter basket 12 will be enabled to fully expand and , thereby , afford maximum protection . fig9 illustrates , in cross - section , the functioning of loop spacer 28 with respect to inner wall 36 of vessel 38 . fig1 and 11 show alternative embodiments of the spacer . fig1 illustrates a generally j - shaped spacer 40 . fig1 illustrates a generally c - shaped spacer 42 . as will be able to be seen in view of this disclosure , in both of these alternative embodiments , ferrule 16 and guidewire 20 will be driven against inner wall 36 of vessel 38 at a circumferential location generally opposite the location at which the spacer engages the wall 36 . as a result , operation of the filter basket 12 will be maximized . fig1 illustrates the functioning of a spiral - shaped spacer 44 . spiral - shaped spacer 44 is shown as being connected , at a distal end thereof , to ferrule 16 . such a connection would be substantially rigid so that the orientation of spacer 44 would be at a location so as to be generally axially aligned with the mouth of basket 12 . while , in embodiments wherein ferrule 16 can float axially , spacer 44 will commensurately be allowed to float axially , it will nevertheless be maintained revolutionally about guidewire 20 so as to afford the desired axial alignment with basket 12 . fig1 also illustrates another ferrule 48 which maintains the proximal end of spacer 44 at guidewire 20 . it will be understood that this ferrule 48 may be permitted to float in an axial direction also or be fixedly attached at guidewire 20 . it will be understood that spiral spacer 44 in fig1 can also be maintained , as is true in the case of other embodiments , rigidly with respect to guidewire 20 by elements separate from ferrule 16 . in such a case , this can be accomplished by rigidly securing the independent elements to the guidewire 20 or additionally , for example , tethering spacer 44 to the mouth of the filter basket 28 . other embodiments of the spacer are also specifically contemplated . for example , a continuous loop bent back on itself in a j - shape or c - shape are also intended to be encompassed within the invention . these particular embodiments are not illustrated in the drawing figures . although a preferred embodiment has been described , it will be appreciated that the description and disclosure in the instant specification are set forth by way of illustration and not limitation , and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . other embodiments can also be used to effect the objects of this invention .
a distal protection device provided with a filter basket having a self - expanding radial loop designed to position the filter basket within human vasculature and to hold the filter basket open during deployment .