Devices and methods for perfusion therapy

A method for cerebral perfusion therapy of a patient, including:

• Providing a cerebral perfusion device including
• An outer catheter configured for cerebral perfusion therapy and including a single lumen first elongate member having a proximal portion with a proximal end, a distally tapered distal portion having a distally tapered distal end and an open distal tip, the tapered distal end configured to facilitate navigating the outer catheter into the cerebral circulation and traversing clots within vessels within the brain, an inner lumen extending along at least the distal portion, a plurality of oblong apertures disposed along the distal portion and extending from an outer surface of the first elongate member to the first elongate member inner lumen, the apertures having a first transverse dimension and a second transverse dimension which is substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension and substantially less than the first transverse dimension;
• the outer catheter being further configured for perfusion of fluids including any one or more of blood, therapeutic agents, diagnostic agents, lytic solutions, and the like;
• through or in the vicinity of an obstructing cerebral thrombus;
• and
• An inner catheter configured for use in cerebral perfusion therapy and including a second elongate member having a proximal portion with a proximal end, a distal portion with a distal end and an open distal tip, a lumen extending along at least the distal portion, the inner catheter configured for slidable coaxial advancement within the inner lumen of the outer catheter and slidable disposal at any one or more locations, proximal, adjacent, or distal;
• to at least a portion of the apertures;
• the inner catheter further being configured for extending distally from the open distal tip of the outer catheter;
• Providing a perfusion pump fluidically connectable to the cerebral perfusion device and configured to actively supply blood to a treatment site through the outer catheter or the inner catheter;
• Advancing intracorporeally the outer catheter and the inner catheter through a patient's artery to a treatment site distal to a distal edge of the thrombus site;
• Retracting the inner catheter proximally to expose at least a portion of the apertures which are distal to the distal edge of the thrombus site;
• and
• Pumping blood from the perfusion pump through either the outer catheter or the inner catheter to the treatment site distal to the thrombus site, through any one or more of the open distal tip of the outer catheter, the open distal tip of the inner catheter, and any unobstructed apertures.