Patent ID: 8801736

Claim:
A method for removing a thrombus from within a blood vessel, said method comprising: introducing an inner sheath through a passage defined in an outer sheath positioned within the blood vessel proximate the thrombus, wherein the inner sheath is self-expandable along substantially an entire length of the inner sheath; extracting the outer sheath from within the blood vessel such that at least a portion of the inner sheath extends beyond a distal end portion of the outer sheath; self-expanding substantially an entire length of the portion of the inner sheath extending beyond the distal end portion of the outer sheath in a radial direction to contact an inner surface of the blood vessel, a distal end of the inner sheath positioned on a proximal side of the thrombus; moving a catheter through the inner sheath to extend the catheter through the thrombus; expanding an expandable body positioned at a distal end portion of the catheter such that substantially an entire length of the expandable body conforms to the inner surface of the blood vessel, substantially the entire length of the expandable body positioned on a distal side of the thrombus; and retracting the catheter, with substantially the entire length of the portion of the inner sheath and substantially the entire length of the expandable body expanded, into the inner sheath to retain the thrombus within the inner sheath such that substantially the entire length of the portion of the inner sheath is in contact with the inner surface of the blood vessel and substantially the entire length of the expandable body conforms to at least one of the inner surface of the blood vessel and an inner surface of the inner sheath.