Patent ID: 7862575

Claim:
A method for permanently occluding a vein through the combined disruption of a vein vessel wall and application of a sclerosant, comprising the following steps: advancing an elongated intraluminal member from an access site and into the vein, wherein the intraluminal member has a portion thereof configured to produce damage to an inner vessel wall of the vein under user control when performing a defined movement; damaging the inner vessel wall by performing the defined movement of the portion of the intraluminal member configured to produce damage against the vein's endothelium to disrupt the endothelium and ensure it is damaged and rendered susceptible to sclerosant; and injecting sclerosant into the vein and onto the damaged inner vessel wall; wherein the steps of damaging and injecting damages an extended portion of the inner vessel wall and exposes the extended portion to the sclerosant; and wherein the damage to the inner vessel wall comprises destruction and disruption of the endothelium 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 the injected sclerosant.