A guard device for removal of thromboembolic material from a blood vessel includes a placement catheter having at least one axial lumen, a shield device having a pusher wire with an expandable braid assembly attached to its distal end and deliverable through the lumen of the placement catheter. The expandable braid assembly has a distal end with a distal tip at the distal end, where the distal tip prevents the distal end of the expandable braid assembly from fully expanding when deployed from the placement catheter. The expandable braid assembly has a diameter that is at least 1.5 times larger in its expanded position than in its collapsed configuration when inside the placement catheter.
