Expandable mouth aspirating clot retrieval catheter

A system for retrieving an obstruction in a blood vessel, the system comprising:

• an outer catheter;
• and
• an inner clot retrieval catheter disposed within the outer catheter, the inner clot retrieval catheter comprising:
• an expansile tip comprising a porous framework, the expansile tip having a folded delivery state and an expanded deployed state;
• and
• a support tube proximal to the expansile tip comprising:
• two longitudinally extending spines located on opposing sides of the support tube;
• and
• a plurality of loop ribs connected along the length of each of the two spines and external to each of the two spines.

A method of retrieving an occlusive thrombus from a blood vessel of a patient, the method comprising:

• providing an outer catheter and an inner clot retrieval catheter, the inner clot retrieval catheter comprising:
• a self-expandable tip, and
• a support tube comprising:
• two longitudinally extending spines located on opposing sides of the support tube;
• and
• a plurality of loop ribs connected along the length of each of the two spines and external to each of the two spines, the loop ribs being axisymmetric with the longitudinal axis;
• restricting flow in a lumen between at least a portion of an inner wall of the outer catheter and at least a portion of an outer wall of the inner clot retrieval catheter;
• accessing an arterial blood vessel of a patient;
• advancing the outer catheter and inner clot retrieval catheter to a target site;
• deploying the inner clot retrieval catheter adjacent to the occlusive thrombus to radially expand the self-expandable tip;
• aspirating through one or both of the outer catheter and inner clot retrieval catheter to stimulate the occlusive thrombus into the inner clot retrieval catheter and capture the occlusive thrombus;
• and
• withdrawing the inner clot retrieval catheter with the captured occlusive thrombus from the patient.