Thrombus removal apparatus and method
AssigneeCook Medical Technologies LLC
InventorsSteen Aggerholm, Kian Olsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thrombus removal apparatus includes a balloon catheter with a short balloon at a distal end thereof. An aspiration catheter is disposed coaxially over the balloon catheter. The balloon catheter includes a plurality of holes for the administration of lytic agent. The apparatus does not seal off completely the zone of the vessel around the thrombus, thereby allowing movement of blood within the vessel. The balloon is shaped so that it can be pulled along the vessel in an upstream direction so as to drag against the vessel walls for assisting in the removal of the thrombus.
Claims20
Thrombus removal apparatus for removing a thrombus from a patient's vasculature, the apparatus including:
- a carrier catheter having a distal end and a proximal end and defining a longitudinal axis;
- a singular occlusion device fixed to or proximate the distal end of the catheter;
- at least one supply element located proximal of said distal end of the carrier catheter for supplying a bioactive agent;
- and
- a retrieval element located proximal of said distal end of the carrier catheter for retrieving thrombus material from a patient's vasculature;
- wherein the occlusion device includes a balloon having a length in the direction of the longitudinal axis and which is expandable to occlude a vessel solely at or proximate said distal end of the carrier catheter, wherein the balloon is rounded in the direction of the longitudinal axis when inflated, and wherein the balloon has first and second ends separated by a distance such that when inflated the balloon has a diameter which is greater than the length of the balloon.
A method of removing a thrombus from a vessel by means of thrombus removal apparatus, which apparatus includes a balloon catheter having a proximal and a distal end, a balloon attached to or proximate the distal end of the balloon catheter, an aspiration catheter, and at least one supply element for supplying proximate the balloon a bioactive agent;
- the method including the steps of:
- inserting a distal end of the thrombus removal apparatus endoluminally into a patient such that the distal end of the balloon catheter is located beyond a thrombus to be removed;
- inflating the balloon so as substantially to close fluid flow beyond the thrombus;
- injecting bioactive agent through the at least one port, thereby to initiate or cause breakup of the thrombus;
- moving the inflated balloon in a proximal direction;
- applying aspiration to the aspiration catheter;
- and
- aspirating the thrombus into the aspiration catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.