Method of catheter irrigation and aspiration

A method of dislodging a blood clot or like organic debris blockage which has clogged a distal end of a catheter indwelling in a body lumen of a patient, said catheter connected to a fluid supply tube, said method comprising the steps of:

• producing a restriction in an inner lumen of said fluid supply tube proximate to an interconnection between said fluid supply tube and said indwelling catheter;
• moving the restriction longitudinally along a length of said fluid supply tube to alter the pressure within said indwelling catheter;
• and
• dislodging the blockage from the distal end of said indwelling catheter.

A method of dislodging a blood clot or like organic debris blockage which has clogged a distal end of a catheter indwelling in a body lumen of a patient, said indwelling catheter connected to a fluid supply tube, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning an irrigation/aspiration device over said fluid supply tube, proximate to said indwelling catheter;
• compressing said fluid supply tube between a pair of opposing projections of said irrigation/aspiration device to produce a restriction in an inner lumen of said fluid supply tube;
• sliding said irrigation/aspiration device longitudinally over said fluid supply tube, in the proximal direction away from said indwelling catheter so as to decrease the pressure within said indwelling catheter;
• and
• producing a sufficient pressure differential across the blockage at the distal end of said indwelling catheter so as to draw the blockage through said catheter and into said fluid supply line.

A method of dislodging a blood clot or like organic debris blockage which has clogged a distal end of a catheter indwelling within a body lumen of a patient, said indwelling catheter connected to a fluid supply tube, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning an irrigation/aspiration device over said fluid supply tube, proximate to said indwelling catheter;
• compressing said fluid supply tube between a pair of opposing projections of said irrigation/aspiration device to produce a restriction in an inner lumen of said fluid supply tube;
• sliding said irrigation/aspiration device longitudinally over said fluid supply tube in the distal direction toward said indwelling catheter so as to increase the pressure within said indwelling catheter;
• and
• producing a sufficient pressure differential across the blockage at the distal end of said indwelling catheter so as to force the blockage off the distal end of said catheter.