Patent ID: 8343167

Claim:
A system for removing thrombus or other obstructive material from body lumen in a human or non-human animal subject, said system comprising: a flexible catheter having a lumen and a distal opening in communication with said lumen; an elongate member having a distal end, said elongate member being advanceable through the lumen of the catheter and out of the distal opening; an obstructive material engaging structure located at or near the distal end of the elongate member, said obstructive material engaging structure comprising a shape memory wire, said shape memory wire comprising a proximal coil segment and a distal coil segment, each of said proximal and distal coil segments being transitionable, in response to energy delivered thereto, from a collapsed, straight configuration to an expanded, coiled configuration; and and a source of energy connected to the proximal and distal coil segments and a control operable to i) selectively cause one of the proximal and distal coil segments to expand while the other does not or ii) cause the proximal and distal coil segments to expand at different expansion rates.