Patent ID: 8439878

Claim:
A thrombectomy catheter comprising: a manifold having a central elongated tubular body with a proximal end and a distal end; an elongated flexible catheter tube having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end of said elongated flexible catheter tube extending into and distally from said distal end of said central elongated tubular body of said manifold; said elongated flexible catheter tube having an elongated distal section, said elongated distal section of said elongated flexible catheter tube having a proximal end and a distal end; said proximal end of said elongated distal section being spaced from said distal end of said elongated flexible catheter tube by an inflow gap interposed between the elongated flexible catheter tube and the elongated distal section; said elongated flexible catheter tube formed of a first material and further having an inflatable thin walled section adjacent to said distal end and proximal relative to the inflow gap, said inflatable thin walled section forming a self-inflating balloon in communication with the inflow gap, the inflatable thin walled section formed from the first material and having a periphery with a plurality of outflow orifices in said periphery; a fluid jet emanator having a plurality of spaced jet orifices, said fluid jet emanator secured within said proximal end of said elongated distal section, the inflow gap being interposed between the fluid jet emanator and the self-inflating balloon; and an elongated flexible high pressure tube having a proximal end in fluid communication with a fluid source and a distal end in fluid communication with the fluid jet emanator, wherein the self-inflating balloon is pressurized into an expanded configuration by a proximal composite flow of fluid from the fluid jet emanator and entrained fluid from the inflow gap, whereby the plurality of outflow orifices are in close proximity to a vessel wall or thrombus along the vessel wall according to the expanded configuration of the self-inflating balloon, the proximal composite flow of fluid crossing the inflow gap to the self-inflating balloon.