Patent ID: 8784434

Claim:
A method of treating a pulmonary embolism comprising: delivering an embolectomy device through the heart to a pulmonary embolism that at least partially restricts blood flow through a pulmonary vessel, wherein the embolectomy device comprises an expandable cylindrical section and at least first and second radial expansion members configured to expand outwardly from the cylindrical section, wherein the cylindrical section is between the first and second radial expansion members; deploying the embolectomy device within the pulmonary embolism so as to restore blood flow through said pulmonary embolism, wherein deploying the embolectomy device comprises expanding the cylindrical section within the pulmonary embolism such that the cylindrical section forms an expanded flow channel through the pulmonary embolism and expanding the radial expansion member to a greater extent than the cylindrical section, and wherein at full expansion of the cylindrical member the radial expansion member projects outward from the cylindrical member, and wherein the cylindrical section has a first length in a longitudinal direction and each of the first and second radial expansion members have a length in the longitudinal direction that is less than the first length of the cylindrical section at full expansion; moving the embolectomy device and at least a portion of the pulmonary embolism along the pulmonary vessel; and withdrawing the embolectomy device and at least a portion of the pulmonary embolism from the pulmonary vessel.