Patent ID: 8920449

Claim:
A method for forming a passageway from a subintimal area to a lumen of a vessel comprising the steps of: a) providing a re-entry catheter with an elongated outer tubular member having a distal end and a window adjacent the distal end, a plurality of deflectable struts arranged longitudinally within the window, an actuating member coaxially disposed within the outer tubular member, wherein proximal ends of the deflectable struts are operatively connected to a distal end of the actuating member, and a lateral port positioned diametrically opposing the window; b) advancing the distal end of the catheter through a subintimal area; c) moving the actuating member in a distal direction to deflect the struts radially outward; and d) subsequent to the step of moving the actuating member, advancing a re-entry device through the lateral port and through an intimal layer of the vessel into the lumen.