Patent ID: 8758325

Claim:
A method for the performance of a procedure in a patient's vessel using a catheter having a distal tip portion, a distal end opening, and a suction lumen, wherein the distal end opening is a suction port for providing access to the suction lumen, and wherein the catheter is a rapid exchange catheter comprising a guide port, having a rapid exchange segment between the guide port and the distal end opening, the method comprising: delivering the catheter on a guide structure into the vessel to a target lesion site wherein the guide structure extends through the guide port and out through the distal end opening to transition the distal tip portion from a natural curved configuration into a relatively straighter configuration; after the distal tip portion has reached the target lesion site, withdrawing the guide structure sufficiently such that the distal tip portion assumes its natural curved configuration from the relatively straighter configuration, wherein in the natural curved configuration the distal tip portion includes an unconstrained displacement diameter at least 90% of a vessel diameter of the patient's vessel, wherein the unconstrained displacement diameter is defined as a perpendicular radial distance from a surface of the distal tip portion to the suction port; and applying suction with the distal tip portion at the target lesion site to remove debris from the vessel into the suction lumen through the suction port.