An embolic protection system having a guidewire for advancing through a vasculature; an embolic protection filter having a filter body with a distal end and a proximal end, the filter body providing for a collapsed configuration and an expanded deployed configuration. The embolic protection filter body has a guidewire path for slidably receiving the guidewire to permit movement of the filter relative to the guidewire when the filter 1 is in the collapsed configuration and the expanded deployed configuration. A delivery catheter is advanceable over the guidewire for delivery of the embolic protection filter. A retrieval catheter is also advanceable over the guidewire for retrieval of the filter , and engagement elements are used for engaging the embolic protection filter with the guidewire for retrieval of the filter into the retrieval catheter in the collapsed configuration.