Methods and apparatus for flow restoration
First Claim
1. A method for restoring localized blood flow in a cerebral blood vessel occluded with a thrombus, comprising:
- delivering a thrombus-removal apparatus through a microcatheter to a site of the thrombus in the cerebral blood vessel, the apparatus comprising a self-expandable tubular structure having a plurality of cells, the structure being configured to assume an expanded configuration at the site, and to be modified into a compressed configuration for delivery through the microcatheter, the compressed configuration having a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the expanded configuration, the structure being configured to expand into the thrombus when transitioning from the compressed configuration to the expanded configuration; and
expanding the structure at the site, by proximally withdrawing the microcatheter from over the structure, such that at least an outer portion of the structure engages and applies an outward radial force on the thrombus, whereby the structure interlocks with at least a portion of the thrombus, the portion of the thrombus extending both inside of the structure and outside of the structure; and
removing the portion of the thrombus, by retracting the apparatus while the portion of the thrombus extends both inside of the structure and outside of the structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for restoring blood flow in occluded blood vessels using an apparatus having a self expandable distal segment that is pre-formed to assume a superimposed structure in an unconstrained condition but can be made to take on a volume-reduced form making it possible to introduce it with a microcatheter and a push wire arranged at the proximal end, with the distal segment in its superimposed structure assuming the form of a longitudinally open tube and having a mesh structure of interconnected strings or filaments or struts. In a preferred embodiment, the distal segment has a tapering structure at its proximal end where the strings or filaments or struts converge at a connection point.
804 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for restoring localized blood flow in a cerebral blood vessel occluded with a thrombus, comprising:
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delivering a thrombus-removal apparatus through a microcatheter to a site of the thrombus in the cerebral blood vessel, the apparatus comprising a self-expandable tubular structure having a plurality of cells, the structure being configured to assume an expanded configuration at the site, and to be modified into a compressed configuration for delivery through the microcatheter, the compressed configuration having a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the expanded configuration, the structure being configured to expand into the thrombus when transitioning from the compressed configuration to the expanded configuration; and expanding the structure at the site, by proximally withdrawing the microcatheter from over the structure, such that at least an outer portion of the structure engages and applies an outward radial force on the thrombus, whereby the structure interlocks with at least a portion of the thrombus, the portion of the thrombus extending both inside of the structure and outside of the structure; and removing the portion of the thrombus, by retracting the apparatus while the portion of the thrombus extends both inside of the structure and outside of the structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for restoring localized blood flow in a cerebral artery occluded with a thrombus, comprising:
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delivering a blood-flow-restoration apparatus with a microcatheter to a site radially adjacent to the thrombus in the cerebral artery, the apparatus comprising a self-expandable distal segment and a proximal elongate member, the distal segment comprising a tubular structure, the proximal elongate member is attached to the distal segment by a plurality of struts such that the proximal elongate member extends generally parallel to, and is offset from, a central longitudinal axis of the tubular structure, the structure being configured to assume an expanded configuration at the site, and to be modified into a compressed configuration for delivery through the microcatheter, the compressed configuration having a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the expanded configuration, the structure is configured to expand into the thrombus when transitioning from the compressed configuration to the expanded configuration; and expanding the structure at the site, by proximally withdrawing the microcatheter from over the structure, such that at least an outer portion of the structure engages and applies an outward radial force on the thrombus, whereby the structure interlocks with at least a portion of the thrombus, the portion of the thrombus extending both inside of the structure and outside of the structure; and removing the portion of the thrombus, by retracting the apparatus while the portion of the thrombus extends both inside of the structure and outside of the structure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification