Patent ID: 6855155

Claim:
An apparatus for removing clots from the vasculature of a patient, comprising: an elongate strand of resilient material having an initial compressed configuration and an expanded configuration, said elongate strand of resilient material having first and second proximal ends respectively connected by first and second legs of the elongate strand of resilient material to a distal middle loop of the elongate strand of resilient material, said first and second proximal ends being joined to a deployment device, said first and second legs of the elongate strand of resilient material forming a double strand of a plurality of sinusoidal loops having upper and lower arcs in the expanded configuration, said sinusoidal loops extending along a longitudinal axis of said apparatus for removing clots, said upper and lower arcs of said sinusoidal loops being curved about said longitudinal axis to form a hollow circumferential substantially bilaterally symmetrical pattern of loops about said longitudinal axis in said expanded configuration, said elongate strand of resilient material being movable from the initial compressed configuration to the expanded configuration extending outwardly from the longitudinal axis to trap and hold clots within a vessel, the elongate strand of resilient material being adapted to be placed within the vessel of the patient when the elongate strand of resilient material is in the compressed configuration and removed from the vessel when the elongate strand of resilient material is in the expanded configuration, whereby clots trapped by the loops can be withdrawn from the vessel; and wherein said upper and lower arcs of said sinusoidal loops form a hollow conical circumferential pattern of loops about said longitudinal axis in said expanded configuration.