Patent ID: 11931055
Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 6:
7. An apparatus, comprising:
an aspiration catheter defining a lumen, the aspiration catheter couplable to a vacuum source that is configured to apply a vacuum pressure within the lumen, the aspiration catheter including a distal end disposable within a vessel near a thrombus;
a flexible shaft configured to be disposed within the lumen such that a distal end of the flexible shaft is proximal of the distal end of the aspiration catheter; and
a drive system coupled to the flexible shaft, the drive system configured to rotatably drive the flexible shaft,
the flexible shaft, in response to being rotatably driven by the drive system, configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the flexible shaft and to orbitally move within the aspiration catheter resulting in formation of hydrodynamic vortices within the aspiration catheter,
the flexible shaft, in response to further being rotatably driven and the hydrodynamic vortices, further configured to assume a corkscrew shape that further results in translational movement of the flexible shaft and high frequency excitation of the flexible shaft that induces high frequency, low amplitude vibration of the aspiration catheter to engage and fragment the thrombus.