Abstract:
A catheter has an expansile tip 901 that can be delivered in a constricted form. The increased tip diameter facilitates the aspiration and removal of large clot volumes by increasing the area of the catheter tip that applies aspiration to the clot. The tip 901 comprises a support frame which can be cut from a metal or polymer tube, covered with a thin polymer sleeve 909 containing highly elastic properties. This construction provides good pushability and high compressive resistance. The cut pattern can contain axial connections of the support frame 908 and ring members 906, which will provide a large level of axial support, lateral flexibility and hoop strength to withstand aspiration. The tip of the device can contain a section 907 proximal of the highly flexible area 905 that can expand to except clot. This potential to increase body diameter facilitates the retrieval of large volume clots while the construction of the catheter provides good column stiffness to avoid axial collapse and still maintain good flexibility.
Abstract:
A clot retrieval device comprises an elongate shaft (104) and an expandable clot retrieval element (2101) on the shaft, the clot retrieval element comprising a framework formed from a substrate material such as Nitinol and having a plurality of struts (2105) and crowns (2102), at least some of the struts (2105) comprises at least one widened portion (2104) of the substrate material to provide enhanced radiopacity. The framework is coated with a radiopaque material such as gold. The device is rendered radiopaque with reduced damping effects.
Abstract:
A clot retrieval device (1) for removing occlusive clot from a blood vessel, the device comprises an inner elongate body (3) having a collapsed delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration and an outer elongate body (2) at least partially overlying the inner elongate body (2).The outer elongate body (2) is expandable to a radial extent which is greater than the radial extent of the inner body (3) in the deployed configuration to define a clot reception space (11). The outer elongate body (2) comprises a distal end portion (24, 49) and the inner elongate body 3 comprises a main body portion (10) and a distal portion which extends in the deployed configuration towards the outer elongate body (2) to a greater extent than the main body portion. The distal portion (10) of the inner elongate member 3 and the distal end portion (24,49) of the outer elongate body (2) together define a three dimensional protective structure to substantially prevent distal egress of clot or clot fragments from the device.
Abstract:
A catheter 101 provides a proximal seal 102 against a guide catheter inner lumen 103 so that aspiration may be applied through a guide catheter 108 and thus take advantage of the large proximal lumen. The catheter 101 is a rapid exchange (RX) catheter with an exit port 105 that defines a transfer port for aspiration and provides a deliverability advantage of minimal frictional engagement with the guide catheter 108 proximal of the exit port 105. Aspiration can be applied to the lumen of the guide catheter 108 and is directed to and effective at the tip of the Rx aspiration catheter 101 due to the presence of flow a restrictor or seal 102 between the outer surface of the Rx aspiration catheter 101 and the inner guide catheter 108. This seals the lumen between the outside of the Rx aspiration catheter 101 and the inner surface of the guide catheter 03 and prevents backflow of blood into the tip of guide catheter 108 reducing the effectiveness of the aspiration. An expansile tip 112 of the Rx catheter 101 facilitates aspiration and retrieval of the clot 110 by expanding under load. The expansile tip 112 can also partially or fully occlude the vessel providing flow arrest and thereby improving aspiration effectiveness.