the present invention is directed to a delivery system suitable for use with a vascular filter or thrombectomy / embolectomy device , such as described in co - pending , commonly assigned u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 364 , 064 , filed jul . 30 , 1999 , incorporated herein by reference . in a preferred embodiment , the vascular device comprises a self - expanding support hoop that is sufficiently thick to radially expand and urge a blood permeable sac into engagement with a vessel wall , but which includes an articulation region that eliminates kinking . more specifically , the vascular device includes a reduced thickness articulation region and a pre - formed curved profile that avoids some of the drawbacks of previously known systems , while providing a high degree of efficacy in capturing emboli or thrombus , and ease of deployment and retrieval . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , a delivery system is provided that facilitates deployment and retrieval of the vascular device , and comprises an integrated device that performs the functions of a torquer , a touhy borst adapter , and a pusher . referring now to fig1 a and 1b , vascular device 20 , illustratively an embolic filter , comprises guide wire 22 , support hoop 24 having articulation region 26 , and blood permeable sac 28 affixed to support hoop 24 . sac 28 is coupled to support hoop 24 so that the support hoop forms an opening for the sac . support hoop 24 preferably is connected to guide wire 22 near distal end 23 of the guide wire . sac 28 preferably is constructed of a thin , flexible , biocompatible material , such as polyethylene , polypropylene , polyurethane , polyester , polyethylene tetraphlalate , nylon or polytetrafluoroethylene , or combinations thereof , and includes openings or pores 30 that permit blood cells to pass through the sac substantially unhindered , while capturing any larger emboli that may be released during a procedure such as angioplasty or stent placement . support hoop 24 comprises a hoop having a circular or rectangular cross - section , and preferably is formed of a super - elastic material , such as a nickel - titanium alloy (“ nitinol ”). during deployment and retrieval of vascular device 20 , support hoop 24 folds in half and collapses to fit within a small diameter delivery sheath . when vascular device 20 is in a deployed state , as depicted in fig2 a , support hoop 24 resumes its pre - formed shape . support hoop 24 includes reduced - thickness articulation region 26 disposed opposite to point 32 at which support hoop 24 is affixed to guide wire 22 . more specifically , support hoop 24 is pre - formed to form a structure having articulation region 26 interposed between curved regions 34 . as depicted in fig2 b , articulation region 26 includes a region having reduced thickness t 1 compared to thickness t of the remainder of support hoop 24 . articulation region 26 and curved regions 34 enable support hoop 24 to fold with a pre - determined shape when vascular device 20 is collapsed to a contracted state for delivery or retrieval . support hoop 24 also may include radiopaque features , such as gold or platinum bands 33 , spaced at intervals around the circumference of support hoop 24 . in a preferred embodiment , vascular device 20 fits within a delivery sheath having an inner diameter of 0 . 033 ″, and more preferably , may be used with a delivery sheath having an inner diameter as small as 0 . 026 ″. the deployed diameter of support hoop 24 preferably is approximately 7 mm , while guide wire 22 preferably has a diameter of 0 . 014 ″, and tapers at its distal end . the distal end of guide wire 22 also may be tipped with a spring section , or coil tip ( not shown ). with respect to fig2 and 3 , additional features of vascular device 20 are described . fig2 depicts vascular device 20 of fig1 a in a contracted state , while fig3 illustrates a directional change in support hoop 24 preferably caused by the presence of curved regions 34 . in the embodiment depicted in fig3 , curved regions 34 illustratively are configured to orient articulation region 26 in a direction parallel to the axis of guide wire 22 . advantageously , use of articulation region 26 and the curved profile of support hoop 24 introduced by curved regions 34 cause support hoop 24 to fold in half during retrieval . as shown in fig2 support hoop 24 folds in half , effectively closing the mouth of blood permeable sac 28 and preventing the escape of collected emboli or thrombus . alternatively , articulation region 26 may comprise a gap in support hoop 24 , with blood permeable sac 28 affixed to the support hoop to bridge the gap , as described in concurrently filed u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 470 , 857 , now u . s . pat . no . 6 , 129 , 739 . referring now to fig4 a - 4d , methods of using the vascular device as a vascular filter are described . in fig4 a , guide wire 22 is manipulated into position within vessel v using well - known percutaneous techniques . vascular device 20 of fig1 a is disposed in its contracted delivery state within distal end 42 of delivery sheath 40 and delivery sheath 40 is advanced through the vessel using distal 23 of guide wire 22 . articulation region 26 and curved regions 34 of support hoop 24 enable the sides of the support hoop to fold together and become elongated when drawn within delivery sheath 40 . with respect to fig4 d , once delivery sheath 40 is disposed at a desired location within a patient &# 39 ; s vessel v , such as a coronary artery or carotid artery , for example , based on the position of radiopaque band 43 under a fluoroscope , guide wire 22 is held stationary while delivery sheath 40 is retracted proximally . alternatively , delivery sheath 40 may be held stationary while guide wire 22 is advanced . in either case , when vascular device 20 is no longer confined within delivery sheath 40 , support hoop 24 expands so that curved regions 34 seal against the walls of the vessel v . blood continues to flow unimpeded through vessel v in direction a . in fig4 c , once vascular device 20 is deployed in vessel v , other interventional instruments , such as angioplasty catheters , atherectomy devices , or stent delivery systems , may be advanced along guide wire 22 to position such devices at treatment zones located proximally of vascular device 20 . for example , in fig4 c , angioplasty balloon catheter 44 has been advanced along guide wire 22 to a position proximal of vascular device 20 to trap emboli e , i . e ., pieces of plaque dislodged from the walls of vessel v by balloon 46 . with respect to fig4 d , upon completion of the angioplasty procedure using angioplasty balloon catheter 44 , guide wire 22 is pulled proximally to cause the sides of support hoop 24 to collapse together to close the mouth of sac 28 ( see fig2 ). additional proximal retraction of guide wire 22 causes support hoop 24 and sac 28 to enter at least partially within the guide wire lumen of angioplasty catheter 44 . as depicted in fig4 d , only a portion of support hoop 24 , near articulation region 26 , and a distal portion of sac 28 extend out of the guide wire lumen of angioplasty catheter 44 . angioplasty catheter 44 then is withdrawn with vascular device 20 and any trapped emboli e . alternatively , vascular device 20 may be used in performing thrombectomy / embolectomy . in this case , vascular device is deployed in a vessel at a location distal to a lesion , in the manner depicted in fig4 a and 4b . once support hoop 24 is deployed into contact with the vessel wall , vascular device 20 may be retracted proximally to scrape along the wall of the vessel , and excise thrombus so that it is captured in sac 28 . delivery sheath 44 may then be re - inserted into the vessel along guide wire 22 , and vascular device 20 is retracted and removed from the vessel . in accordance with the present invention , a delivery system is provided for use with vascular device 20 that facilitates deployment and retrieval of the vascular device . the delivery system integrates the functions of a torquer , a touhy borst adapter , and a pusher into a single device . referring now to fig5 a and 5b , a delivery system configured for use with the vascular device of fig1 - 3 is described . in fig5 a , vascular device 20 is in the retracted state , while in fig5 b vascular device 20 is in the deployed state . delivery system 50 comprises proximal screw cap 52 , collet 56 , handle 60 , rod 64 , central screw cap 68 , lumen flushing section 72 , distal hub 79 , and nose piece 86 . proximal screw cap 52 includes bore 53 with female screw thread 54 and guide wire lumen 55 . bore 53 extends proximally from the distal face of cap 52 . guide wire lumen 55 extends from the proximal end of bore 53 to the proximal end of cap 52 . handle 60 comprises proximal male screw thread 61 configured to engage female screw thread 54 of cap 52 , and lumen 62 configured to receive collet 56 in its proximal end and rod 64 in its distal end . lumen 62 has a reduced diameter at the distal end of handle 60 that captures a step on the proximal end of rod 64 . thus , while collet 56 is removable received within lumen 62 , rod 64 may translate and rotate within , but may not be removed from , lumen 62 . guide wire 22 freely passes through collet 56 when screw cap 52 is not securely fastened to handle 60 . when cap 52 is securely fastened to handle 60 , it causes collet 56 to elastically deform , decreasing the diameter of the lumen extending through the collet , and frictionally locking guide wire 22 into rigid attachment with collet 56 . guide wire 22 is thereby rigidly connected to handle 60 . rod 64 further comprises guide wire lumen 65 extending therethrough . rod 64 has its distal end rigidly and permanently affixed to central screw cap 68 . cap 68 comprises female screw thread 69 and lumen 70 . lumen 70 includes a proximal reduced - diameter step that captures rod 64 within the proximal end of cap 68 , and a distal portion that receives lumen flushing or fluid port section 72 . section 72 comprises male screw thread 73 , side port 74 , bore 75 , guide wire lumen 76 , and fluid lumen 77 . male screw thread 73 is configured to engage female thread 69 of cap 68 . section 72 includes a flange disposed just distal of thread 73 that is captured within lumen 70 of cap 68 . thus , cap 68 may be tightened onto and loosened from , but not removed from , section 72 . rod 64 is received within bore 75 of section 72 . guide wire 22 passes between bore 75 and fluid lumen 77 within guide wire lumen 76 . fluid lumen 77 connects side port 74 to the guide wire lumen of delivery sheath 40 . o - rings 78 provide a fluid seal at the distal end of lumen 77 . distal hub 79 connects section 72 to nose piece 86 . hub 79 comprises bore 83 , female screw thread 84 , and annulus 85 containing tapered projection 81 . bore 83 includes flange 82 that rotatably receives section 72 in its proximal end . nose piece 86 comprises male screw thread 87 , tapered bore 88 , and delivery sheath lumen 89 . male screw thread 87 is configured to engage female thread 84 in annulus 85 of hub 79 . tapered bore 88 allows tapered projection 81 of hub 79 to extend within nose piece 86 and permit delivery sheath 40 from delivery sheath lumen 89 to extend therethrough . o - rings 78 are disposed between the hub 79 and nose piece 86 and between hub 79 and section 72 . delivery system 50 advantageously may be implemented in a variety of ways . for example , the delivery system may be offered with a delivery catheter or sheath pre - attached . in this embodiment , proximal screw cap 52 is loosened , and the proximal end of guide wire 22 may be passed through the delivery catheter or sheath , and delivery system 50 , until vascular device 20 is in its retracted state within the delivery catheter or sheath . insertion of the vascular device into the patient may then proceed . alternatively , delivery system 50 may be commercially supplied in the configuration shown in fig5 a , i . e ., pre - loaded with a delivery catheter or sheath , such as sheath 40 , already attached and vascular device 20 retracted therein . as another alternative , delivery system 50 may be offered without either a delivery sheath or vascular device attached , or the delivery catheter or sheath may be an interventional instrument , such as an angioplasty , atherectomy , or stent delivery catheter . referring now to fig4 a - 4d and 5 a and 5 b , a method of using the delivery system of the present invention in conjunction with a vascular filter is described . with vascular device 20 contracted within distal end 42 of delivery sheath 40 ( fig4 a and 5 a ), delivery sheath 40 is attached to delivery system 50 by loosening proximal screw cap 52 and extending the proximal end of guide wire 22 through delivery system 50 , with handle 60 in its proximal - most position ( fig5 a ). screw cap 52 is then tightened to cause collet 56 to engage guide wire 22 to handle 60 . delivery sheath 40 then is advanced through a patient &# 39 ; s vasculature using well - known percutaneous techniques using distal end 23 of guide wire 22 . if a vessel bifurcation is to be crossed during advancement , handle 60 may be rotated to divert the distal end of sheath 40 into the desired branch of the bifurcation . the rotational moment or torque applied to handle 60 is transmitted to guide wire 22 ( when screw cap 52 is tightened ), which causes distal end 23 to rotate and facilitates positioning of vascular device 20 in the proper side of the bifurcation . as shown in fig4 a , advancement continues until delivery sheath 40 is disposed at a desired location within a patient &# 39 ; s vessel v , such as a coronary or carotid artery , as determined , for example , by the position of radiopaque band 43 under a fluoroscope . with the vascular device in position , handle 60 , and thus guide wire 22 , is held stationary while the section 72 and attached delivery sheath 40 are retracted proximally . alternatively , handle 60 may be advanced while section 72 and sheath 40 are held stationary . in either case , when vascular device 20 is no longer confined within delivery sheath 40 , support hoop 24 expands to seal against the walls of the vessel v , as depicted in fig4 b and 5b . blood continues to flow unimpeded through vessel v in direction a . depending on the medical procedure prescribed in conjunction with the use of vascular device 20 , delivery sheath 40 may retrieve vascular device 20 at the conclusion of the procedure , or sheath 40 may be detached from delivery system 50 and removed from the patient . if sheath 40 is detached , guide wire 22 may be removed from delivery system 50 so that other interventional instruments , such as angioplasty catheters , atherectomy devices , or stent delivery systems may be advanced along guide wire 22 to position such devices at treatment zones located proximally of vascular device 20 . guide wire 22 and the interventional catheter then may be passed through and fastened to delivery system 50 . for example , as shown in fig4 c , angioplasty balloon catheter 44 may be advanced along guide wire 22 to a position proximal of vascular device 20 so that device 20 may trap emboli e , i . e ., pieces of plaque dislodged from the walls of vessel v by balloon 46 . upon completion of the angioplasty procedure using angioplasty balloon catheter 44 , handle 60 with attached guide wire 22 is pulled proximally to cause the sides of support hoop 24 to collapse together to close the mouth of sac 28 ( fig2 ). additional proximal retraction of guide wire 22 causes support hoop 24 and sac 28 to enter at least partially within the guide wire lumen of angioplasty catheter 44 . as depicted in fig4 d , only a portion of support hoop 24 , near articulation region 26 , and a distal portion of sac 28 extend out of the guide wire lumen of angioplasty catheter 44 . angioplasty catheter 44 then is withdrawn with vascular device 20 and any trapped emboli e . it also may be beneficial during a medical procedure to introduce or withdraw fluids from the operative site . for example , it may be beneficial to deliver medicaments , or draw suction to remove blood . the delivery sheath lumen also may require flushing with saline to prevent clotting within the lumen . these and other procedures are made possible by side port 74 of section 72 , which , as described hereinabove , is in fluid communication with the lumen of delivery sheath 40 . in addition to applications with vascular filters , delivery system 50 may be used as part of the thrombectomy / embolectomy procedure described herein above , as well as in a variety of other procedures . although preferred illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described , it will be evident to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention . it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .
apparatus and methods are provided for use in deploying and retrieving a vascular device suited for filtering emboli from a vessel and performing thrombectomy and embolectomy . the vascular device comprises a support hoop having an articulation region connected near a distal end of a guide wire , and a blood permeable sac affixed to the support hoop so that the support hoop forms a mouth of the blood permeable sac . a specialized delivery system allows precise control over deployment and retrieval of the vascular device , and the introduction or withdrawal of fluids from an operative site .