Dual lumen aspiration catheter system

A method of aspirating debris, thrombi, emboli or the like from a vasculature comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a dual lumen aspiration catheter including:
• (1) a hub and a flexible strain relief;
• (2) an aspiration catheter having a proximal end and a distal end and a suction assembly which attaches to and is in communication with the aspiration catheter;
• (3) said aspiration catheter including multiple successively connected flexible tubular components each increasing in relative flexibility in the distal direction, the most proximal tubular component connectingly extending from the hub and through the flexible strain relief;
• (4) said tubular components of the aspiration catheter including, in order proximally to distally, a composite tube, an intermediate tube, a dual lumen tube, and a flexible tip tube, the composite tube and the intermediate tube each having a single lumen;
• (5) said dual lumen tube including a large radius tubular portion and a small radius tubular portion, both said large radius tubular portion and said small radius tubular portion have a shared bottom wall, and are eccentrically co-located to delineate a large lumen and a small lumen, respectively, whereby the small lumen is eccentric to and located substantially within the general profile of the large lumen;
• and
• (6) said dual lumen tube extending towards the distal end of the aspiration catheter such that use of both lumens occurs without interference by or of the composite tube or intermediate tube, and the distal end of the dual lumen tube having a convex beveled edge, the convex beveled edge and the flexible tip tube singly or in combination serving to facilitate ease of passage along a tortuous path of a blood vessel, vein or the like;
• b. inserting a suitably sized guidewire into the vasculature, the guidewire having a proximal end and distal end, the proximal end remaining exterior to the vasculature;
• c. engaging the distal end of the guidewire with the dual lumen aspiration catheter, with the guidewire initially accommodated by a lumen of the flexible tip tube and advancing the dual lumen aspiration catheter on the guidewire such that the guidewire is subsequently accommodated by the small lumen of the dual lumen tube;
• d. urging the dual lumen aspiration catheter distally on the guidewire and into the vasculature;
• and
• e. applying suction to provide controlled vacuum so as to remove debris, thrombi, emboli and the like from the vasculature.