Patent ID: 11963694
Assignee: VETEX MEDICAL LIMITED
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 8:
9. A method of removing thrombus from a body lumen, the method comprising:
inserting a device into the body lumen, the device including:
a catheter member; and
a thrombus capture body at a distal-most end of the catheter member, the thrombus capture body including:
proximal apertures of a first size;
distal apertures of a second size smaller than the first size;
a circumferential edge in between the proximal apertures and the distal apertures;
a spring configured to bias the thrombus capture body towards an expanded orientation;
a thrombus blocking body disposed on the catheter member proximally from the thrombus capture body; and
a rotatable macerator disposed within the thrombus capture body;

advancing the thrombus capture body, in a contracted orientation, to a position distal of a thrombus and maintaining the position of the thrombus blocking body proximally of the thrombus in a contracted orientation;
deploying the thrombus capture body from the contracted orientation to the expanded orientation, whereby in the expanded orientation the circumferential edge of the thrombus capture body contacts a wall of the body lumen;
moving the thrombus capture body proximally towards the thrombus blocking body, while maintaining the position of the thrombus blocking body, and with the thrombus blocking body forcing the thrombus into the thrombus capture body, whereby the spring causes the circumferential edge to apply a radial force against the wall of the body lumen;
urging the thrombus into the thrombus capture body through the proximal apertures of the thrombus capture body by a cooperative operation of proximal movement of the thrombus capture body toward the thrombus blocking body; and
macerating the thrombus with the rotatable macerator within the thrombus capture body.