Patent ID: 8465508

Claim:
An apparatus for permanently occluding a vein, comprising: an elongated intraluminal member shaped and dimensioned for passage through blood vessels of a subject, the intraluminal member including a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end comprises a vein wall disruptor; a sheath in which the intraluminal member is disposed, thereby defining an annular space between the intraluminal member and the sheath, wherein: the sheath is shaped and dimensioned for fluid communication through the annular space between the proximal end and the distal end of the intraluminal member; and the sheath is transitionable, relative to the intraluminal member, between a first state in which the sheath covers the disruptor, and a second state in which a length of the disruptor is exposed from the sheath, the length being long enough to allow contact of the disruptor with a vein wall; and a motor coupled to the proximal end of the intraluminal member configured to drive a defined movement of the intraluminal member; a source of sclerosant in fluid communication with the annular space such that sclerosant injected proximally flows through the annular space and exits at a distal end of the sheath; wherein the vein wall disruptor comprises a disrupting portion that is configured with a size, sharpness, and position on the intraluminal member to contact and scrape a vein wall when driven by the motor in a manner that destroys endothelium of the vein wall and produces injury thereto, the disrupting portion being shaped and positioned to produce the injury in an amount sufficient to: (1) enhance the effect of the sclerosant, (2) facilitate the destruction of the vein, and (3) increase the likelihood of permanent vein occlusion from injected sclerosant.