Patent ID: 7842055

Claim:
A method of removing tissue from the vasculature of a brain, the method comprising: introducing a neuro thrombectomy catheter into a patient, the neuro thrombectomy catheter comprising an elongate, flexible tubular body having a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter comprising sufficient flexibility to traverse a vessel radius of curvature of about 5 mm or greater, the catheter further comprising a rotatable distal cutting tip positioned within a first lumen of the tubular body that, when rotated within a vessel of a patient, does not contact a wall of the vessel, wherein the neuro thrombectomy catheter comprises a guidewire lumen non-coaxial with the first lumen, the guidewire lumen having a distal guidewire port and a proximal guidewire port spaced distally apart from the proximal end of the tubular body, and the neuro thrombectomy catheter is introduced into the vasculature of the brain of the patient by advancing the guidewire lumen over a guidewire extending throughout the length of the tubular body and having a diameter of less than about 0.02 inches, wherein the distal guidewire port is distal to a distal opening of the first lumen and is positioned on a distal advance segment for enhancing the trackability of the neuro thrombectomy catheter; advancing the distal end of the tubular body into the vasculature of the brain to a location proximate the tissue to be removed; rotating the distal cutting tip to remove tissue from the patient without the distal cutting tip contacting the wall of the vessel in which the distal cutting tip is located; and drawing tissue into the first lumen of the tubular body to remove the tissue from vasculature of the brain.