Patent ID: 7931659

Claim:
An apparatus for withdrawing thromboembolic material from a blood vessel, the apparatus comprising: an elongate member; and a receiver on a distal portion of the elongate member, the receiver formed of a plurality of structural members arranged to form a sleeve having a central lumen, a first plurality of the structural members comprising longitudinally extending struts, a second plurality of the structural members comprising v-shaped engaging elements, and a third set of structural members comprising a plurality of axially spaced-apart circumferential rings attached to the longitudinal struts, each of said v-shaped engaging elements being disposed between adjacent ones of the longitudinal struts and including a first leg extending into the central lumen from a first longitudinal strut and a second leg extending into the central lumen from a second, adjacent longitudinal strut, said first and second legs attached to one another within the central lumen to define a plurality of longitudinally oriented apexes extending into the central lumen, wherein at least a distal row and a proximal row of the v-shaped engaging elements are disposed between a distal circumferential ring and a proximal circumferential ring and each apex is unattached to any other structure within the central lumen.