Patent ID: 8197493

Claim:
A method of using a plurality of expandable tip assemblies adapted to address an occlusive thrombus within a blood vessel for providing progressive therapy, the method comprising: identifying a thrombus within a blood vessel; inserting an expandable reperfusion device into the blood vessel within a microcatheter to the location of the thrombus, wherein the expandable reperfusion device comprises a self-expandable reperfusion scaffold having a plurality of interconnected struts that form cells sized and configured to reduce protrusion of the thrombus within the reperfusion scaffold, wherein the self-expandable reperfusion scaffold has an open, non-filtering distal end; deploying the self-expandable reperfusion scaffold within the thrombus by retracting the microcatheter to unsheath the reperfusion scaffold and allow the reperfusion scaffold to expand within the thrombus, thereby compressing the thrombus against the inner vessel wall and establishing one or more blood flow channels through the thrombus, wherein the one or more blood flow channels facilitate natural lysis of the thrombus; resheathing the reperfusion scaffold within the microcatheter by advancing the microcatheter and then unsheathing the reperfusion device by retracting the microcatheter to provide maceration of the thrombus; removing the reperfusion device; inserting an expandable thrombus removal device into the blood vessel within the microcatheter to the location of the thrombus, wherein the expandable thrombus removal device comprises a self-expandable removal scaffold having a plurality of interconnected struts that form cells sized and configured to allow thrombus penetration within the cells, thereby facilitating engagement of the thrombus by the removal scaffold; deploying the removal scaffold within a remaining portion of the thrombus, thereby engaging the remaining portion of the thrombus; extracting the remaining portion of the thrombus engaged by the removal scaffold from the blood vessel; and removing the thrombus removal device.