Medical device and method

A vessel-occluding and occlusion removal medical device for removing blockages in blood vessels for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in the human body, the device comprising:

• an outer tube having a proximal end, a distal tip and a lumen extending from the distal tip towards the proximal end;
• an inner tube within the lumen, the inner tube having a proximal end and a distal end, the inner and outer tubes movable between a first position, with the distal end positioned distally a first distance from the distal tip, towards one another to a second position, with the distal tip and distal end separated by a second distance, the second distance being shorter than the first distance;
• and
• a flexible tubular metal mesh braid sleeve having a radially contracted state and a radially expanded state, the tubular sleeve comprising multiple filaments, a first end joined to the distal tip of the outer tube, a second end joined to the distal end of the inner tube, and a coating disposed within and between the multiple filaments and covering only a first portion of the tubular sleeve, thus leaving a second portion of the tubular sleeve uncoated and porous to provide variable porosity along the tubular sleeve, the uncoated second portion comprising multiple pores between multiple filaments,
• wherein the tubular sleeve comprises a generally U-shaped, direction reversing region which is formed by, and which moves along the length of, the tubular sleeve when the inner and outer tubes move between the first and second positions, the direction reversing region separating the tubular sleeve into an outer portion and an inner portion and comprising a region of variable stiffness in the tubular sleeve configured to buckle more easily than the remainder of the tubular sleeve as the outer and inner tubes are moved between the first and second positions,
• wherein the tubular sleeve assumes the radially contracted state when the inner and outer tubes are in the first position,
• wherein the region of variable stiffness causes the tubular sleeve to tend to fold into the radially expanded state when the inner and outer tubes are in the second position,
• wherein, when the tubular sleeve is in the expanded state, the outer portion of the tubular sleeve overlies and is directly opposite the inner portion of the tubular sleeve and the tubular sleeve has a funnel shape with a conical proximal funnel portion and a cylindrical distal funnel portion having a substantially constant diameter, the distal funnel portion configured to contact and exert an outward radial force onto an inner wall of a blood vessel when the tubular sleeve is placed therein, the outward radial force being sufficient to seal the tubular sleeve against the inner wall and occlude the blood vessel, and
• wherein the tubular sleeve in the expanded state has a longitudinally-extending opening to permit material to pass therethrough for receipt of material into the inner tube.