Patent ID: 8366735

Claim:
A method for removing thromboembolic material from a blood vessel in a patient the method comprising the steps of: providing a catheter having a lumen, the lumen including a distal portion having fixed inner diameter; positioning a separator device within the catheter lumen, the separator device comprising an elongate member having a flexible distal section terminating in a distal tip and a separator element comprising a maximum diameter that defines a tight tolerance between the separator and the catheter lumen and disposed in a fixed position spaced proximally from the distal tip by a distance between 3 mm and 9 mm, wherein the portion of the flexible distal section between the separator element and the distal tip is advanceable through the thromboembolic material and has a length at least five times as long as the diameter thereof; inserting the catheter into a blood vessel and positioning the catheter proximally of a body of thromboembolic material; aspirating through the lumen to draw thromboembolic material into and through the lumen; advancing the flexible distal section of the elongate member in a distal direction to pass in or through the thromboembolic material to advance the separator element into the thromboembolic material to displace thromboembolic material to form a channel which allows thromboembolic material to flow back through the channel into the catheter lumen; and retracting the separator element back through the channel to draw displaced material into the catheter lumen, wherein the tight tolerance between the separator and the catheter lumen breaks up thromboembolic material accumulating in the catheter lumen.