Patent ID: 8764730

Claim:
A method of operating a catheter apparatus comprising: providing a catheter apparatus comprising: a multi-lumen main catheter shaft; one or more guidewire lumen shafts extending from a distal end of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft with lumens within the one or more guidewire lumen shafts contiguous with at least one of the multi-lumens of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft; an expansible support structure coupled to the distal end of the multi-lumen main catheter shaft; a sheath at least partially surrounding the expansible support structure; one or more loops each corresponding to one of the one or more guidewire lumens, wherein the one or more loops are coupled to the expansible support structure, and wherein the one or more loops project inward toward an interior of the expansible support structure; and wherein the one or more guidewire lumen shafts are threaded through the corresponding one or more loops; inserting the catheter apparatus into a vasculature with a chronic total occlusion; withdrawing the sheath from the expansible support structure; advancing a guidewire one or more guidewires through the one or more guidewire lumens and into contact with the chronic total occlusion; and withdrawing the expansible support structure from the vasculature.