Patent ID: 7008434

Claim:
An apparatus for removing clots from the vasculature of a patient, comprising: an elongated catheter member with a tubular wall having an exterior surface; and a plurality of clot retrieval members defined on said exterior surface of said tubular wall of said elongated catheter member, said plurality of clot retrieval members being formed from a shape memory material having a glass transition temperature (Tg) above body temperature, the plurality of clot retrieval members being connected to said elongated catheter member, said clot retrieval members being movable from an initial compressed configuration to an expanded configuration extending outwardly from the elongated catheter member to trap and hold clots within the vessel, wherein said clot retrieval members are initially compressed axially to extend substantially contiguously with the surface of the tubular wall, the elongated catheter member being adapted to be placed within a vessel of the patient when the clot retrieval members are in the compressed configuration and removed from the vessel when the clot retrieval members are in the expanded configuration, whereby clots trapped by the clot retrieval members can be withdrawn from the vessel.