FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS

**Definition:** This place covers:

Apparatus, devices or methods for physically correcting or altering the body of patients or disabled persons that are directly and for prolonged periods of time (i.e. not just during acute exceptional circumstances) used on or in the body of the patient or the disabled person:

Stents and similar devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body;

Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body that are either implantable into the body (e.g. blood vessels, eye parts, heart valves, bones, joints) or not implantable in the body (e.g. mammary prostheses, artificial arms, hands, legs or feet or parts thereof);

Specially adapted electrical, bioelectrical or fluid operating or control means for prostheses or sphincters;

Specially adapted means for connecting prostheses with or to the body (e.g. bandages, harnesses, sockets, stockings for the limb stump);

Specially adapted means for protecting prostheses;

Filters implantable into blood vessels;

Lengthening pieces for natural legs;

Orthopaedic methods or devices for non-surgical treatment of bones or joints, e.g. splints, casts, corsets, devices for stretching including equipment for beds or treatment tables, medical insertions for shoes, pressure pads, suspensory bandages;

Methods or devices for physically treating or correcting of the eyes (e.g. eye surgery using laser);

Apparatus specially adapted for guiding the blind by supplementing or replacing their visual perception;

Methods or devices for treatment of the ears, e.g. surgical.

Methods or devices (e.g. head or eye-gaze-direction actuated control devices, oral communication actuated control devices) for enabling patients or disabled persons to operate independent apparatus or machines (i.e. apparatus such as room lights or doors that is not a part of, or used in conjunction with the functioning of, artificial or natural parts of their body) without the application of direct force from the part of the human body that would normally be used by individuals for controlling operation of the independent apparatus or machine such as a hand, foot or their artificial equivalents.

Contraceptive devices for males (e.g. condoms, vas deferens occluders) or females (e.g. pessaries, intra-uterine type, fallopian occluders).

Devices for medical or hygienic care of living individuals that are worn by the individual or directly contact the body of the individual during their care:

Devices worn by the patient for reception of urine, faeces; colostomy devices;

Bandages or dressings, e.g. plasters, elastic stockings;

Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, absorbent garments, e.g. diapers, tampons, e.g. catamenial tampons, surgical swabs; supporting and fastening means for pads.

Heating or cooling devices for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body and for body cavities, e.g. compresses, warming pads, pans or mats, hot water bottles, ice bags.

Protective devices for the eyes, e.g. goggles, eye-masks worn to prevent particulates or chemicals from striking the eyes.

Devices for inserting contact lenses.

Protective devices for the ears, e.g. ear plugs or earmuffs.

Auxiliary appliances for wound dressings; dispensing containers for dressings or bandages; packages or wrapping arrangements for used pads, e.g. for disposal.

Containers having various emergency medical supplies such as bandages, simple medical tools, and medicines (i.e. first-aid kits) that are intended to be used for administering initial treatment to injured or sick individuals.

**Limiting references (this place does not cover):** - Dental prostheses -> A61C

**Glossary:** - Absorbent articles: Articles adapted to absorb liquid excreted by the body. - Dilator: A (surgical) device or instrument used to dilate, distend, enlarge, expand, stretch an opening, organ, passage, tube, canal or cavity of a human or animal body (e.g. urethrotomy, tracheotomy, nasal, anal or cervix (Hegar's dilator) or vaginal dilation, bougienage, percutaneous dilation of tissues (Byrd dilator), whereas stents are not dilators but prostheses for providing patency, or preventing collapsing of tubular structures of the body. - Disabled person: A human being that is unable to do certain basic physical tasks (e.g. walking) due to a physical or mental impairment/condition. - Patient: A human being awaiting or undergoing any form of (a) medical care (e.g. testing) or treatment by medical staff (e.g. doctors, dentists, midwives, chiropractors), or (b) physical tending (e.g. feeding) by care giver (e.g. hospice or nursing home staff) due to impairment. - Stent: Balloon- or self-expandable tubular device for use in the treatment of duct-like organs typified for example by a blood vessel, biliary tract, urinary tract, digestive tract, and the like providing patency. - Stent graft: Stent with a tubular member made of a synthetic resin affixed to the inside or outside of the stent.