Patent ID: 7004173

Claim:
A method for forming a pathway from a sub-intimal space of a blood vessel into a true lumen of the blood vessel, comprising: positioning a catheter system within the sub-intimal space at a position proximate to a target entry site into the true lumen, the catheter system including at least one lumen in communication with at least one port in a distal region of the catheter system, the catheter system further including an internal incising element that is translatable across a portion of the port; determining a radial position of the true lumen with respect to the port at the target entry site from a position in the sub-intimal plane using an imaging device of the catheter system; and forming an incision in tissue separating the sub-intimal space from the true lumen using the internal incising element, the incision having separate and distinct end points and forming a pathway between the sub-intimal space and the true lumen, wherein the tissue remains external to the port subsequent to forming the incision.