Patent ID: 8313493

Claim:
A hydraulic guidewire advancement system comprising: a catheter comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter further comprising a sheath, a guidewire lumen, and a distal opening in the distal end, the distal opening being adapted to be positioned adjacent an occlusion in a body vessel; a proximal catheter port adapted to be positioned outside a patient's body; an adapter adapted to be positioned outside the patient's body, the adapter comprising a seal member; a hydraulic guidewire coaxially disposed through the guidewire lumen and extending out of the adapter through the seal member, the hydraulic guidewire comprising a piston movably disposed in the guidewire lumen and located near the distal end of the catheter, the piston being fixedly coupled to the hydraulic guidewire and forming a seal with an interior surface of the sheath, and the seal member forming a seal with the hydraulic guidewire and the adapter; and, a hydraulic driver connected to the proximal catheter port, wherein the hydraulic driver is configured to generate hydraulic pressure against the piston to pressurize a lumen extending from the proximal catheter port and the seal member to the piston near the distal end of the catheter, the hydraulic pressure being sufficient to advance or retract the hydraulic guidewire relative to the distal end of the catheter.