Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
223 words
A method of performing a thrombectomy procedure within a blood vessel comprising the steps of: guiding a thrombectomy apparatus upstream of a preselected portion of blood vessel having deposits to be removed, the thrombectomy apparatus comprising a balloon catheter and a thrombectomy catheter, the balloon catheter having a balloon at a distal end of the balloon catheter and being axially moveable within and with respect to the thrombectomy catheter; inflating the balloon of the balloon catheter, when the balloon is positioned within a distal end of the thrombectomy catheter; providing a material at the distal end of the thrombectomy catheter which comprises a material sufficiently flexible to expand upon inflation of the balloon; thereafter deflating the balloon, the material of the thrombectomy catheter being sufficiently rigid so that the distal end retains an expanded shape upon deflation of the balloon; extending the balloon catheter downstream from the expanded distal end of the thrombectomy catheter such that the balloon is situated downstream of the preselected portion of the blood vessel having deposits to be removed; reinflating the balloon; retracting the reinflated balloon towards the expanded distal end of the thrombectomy catheter to dislodge and carry the deposits to be removed into the expanded distal end; using the reinflated balloon to plug the expanded distal end; and removing the thrombectomy apparatus from the blood vessel.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
223 words
A method of performing a thrombectomy procedure within a blood vessel comprising the steps of: guiding a thrombectomy apparatus upstream of a preselected portion of blood vessel having deposits to be removed, the thrombectomy apparatus comprising a balloon catheter and a thrombectomy catheter, the balloon catheter having a balloon at a distal end of the balloon catheter and being axially moveable within and with respect to the thrombectomy catheter; inflating the balloon of the balloon catheter, when the balloon is positioned within a distal end of the thrombectomy catheter; providing a material at the distal end of the thrombectomy catheter which comprises a material sufficiently flexible to expand upon inflation of the balloon; thereafter deflating the balloon, the material of the thrombectomy catheter being sufficiently rigid so that the distal end retains an expanded shape upon deflation of the balloon; extending the balloon catheter downstream from the expanded distal end of the thrombectomy catheter such that the balloon is situated downstream of the preselected portion of the blood vessel having deposits to be removed; reinflating the balloon; retracting the reinflated balloon towards the expanded distal end of the thrombectomy catheter to dislodge and carry the deposits to be removed into the expanded distal end; using the reinflated balloon to plug the expanded distal end; and removing the thrombectomy apparatus from the blood vessel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the additional steps of after guiding the thrombectomy catheter upstream of the preselected portion and before using the reinflated balloon to plug the distal end maneuvering the balloon catheter such that the balloon is situated within an occluded portion of the preselected portion blood vessel and inflating the balloon to open the occluded portion of the blood vessel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the deposits comprise thrombus.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of performing a thrombectomy procedure within a blood vessel comprising the steps of: guiding a thrombectomy apparatus upstream of a preselected portion of a blood vessel having deposits to be removed, the thrombectomy apparatus comprising a balloon catheter and a thrombectomy catheter, the balloon catheter having a balloon at a distal end of the balloon catheter and being axially moveable within and with respect to the thrombectomy catheter; inflating the balloon of the balloon catheter, when the balloon is positioned within a distal end of the thrombectomy catheter; providing a material at the distal end of the thrombectomy catheter which comprises a material sufficiently flexible to expand upon inflation of the balloon; thereafter deflating the balloon, the material of the thrombectomy catheter being sufficiently rigid so that the distal end retains an expanded shape upon deflation of the balloon; extending the balloon catheter downstream from the expanded distal end of the thrombectomy catheter such that the balloon is situated downstream of the preselected portion of the blood vessel having deposits to be removed; reinflating the balloon; using the reinflated balloon to plug the expanded distal end so that the deposits to be removed become entrapped within the distal end; and removing the thrombectomy apparatus from the blood vessel.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of performing a thrombectomy procedure within a blood vessel comprising the steps of: guiding a thrombectomy apparatus upstream of a preselected portion of a blood vessel having deposits to be removed, the thrombectomy apparatus comprising a balloon catheter and a thrombectomy catheter, the balloon catheter having a balloon at a distal end of the balloon catheter and being axially moveable within and with respect to the thrombectomy catheter; inflating the balloon of the balloon catheter, when the balloon is positioned within a distal end of the thrombectomy catheter; providing a material at the distal end of the thrombectomy catheter which comprises a material sufficiently flexible to expand upon inflation of the balloon; thereafter deflating the balloon, the material of the thrombectomy catheter being sufficiently rigid so that the distal end retains an expanded shape upon deflation of the balloon; extending the balloon catheter downstream from the expanded distal end of the thrombectomy catheter such that the balloon is situated downstream of the preselected portion of the blood vessel having deposits to be removed; reinflating the balloon; using the reinflated balloon to plug the expanded distal end so that the deposits to be removed become entrapped within the distal end; and removing the thrombectomy apparatus from the blood vessel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 4 further comprising: the additional steps of, after guiding the thrombectomy catheter upstream of the preselected portion and before using the reinflated balloon to plug the distal end, maneuvering the balloon catheter such that the balloon is situated within an occluded portion of the preselected portion of the blood vessel; and inflating the balloon to open the occluded portion of the blood vessel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the deposits comprise thrombus.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
203 words
A method of removing materials from within a blood vessel comprising the steps of: moving a catheter having an interior through the blood vessel to a preselected portion of the blood vessel near the material to be removed; moving a balloon catheter through the interior of the catheter, the balloon catheter including a balloon at a distal end thereof; inflating the balloon of the balloon catheter when the balloon is positioned within a distal end of the catheter to engage and enlarge the diameter of the catheter at its distal end; thereafter, deflating the balloon; moving the balloon catheter out from the interior of the catheter to place the deflated balloon at a position on the distal side of the material to be removed; inflating the balloon to a diameter sufficient to engage and dislodge the material to be removed and to plug the enlarged distal end of the catheter; thereafter using the inflated balloon and the enlarged distal end of the catheter to dislodge and capture the material in the enlarged distal end of the catheter; using the inflated balloon to plug the enlarged distal end of the catheter to entrap the dislodged material in the enlarged distal end of the catheter.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
203 words
A method of removing materials from within a blood vessel comprising the steps of: moving a catheter having an interior through the blood vessel to a preselected portion of the blood vessel near the material to be removed; moving a balloon catheter through the interior of the catheter, the balloon catheter including a balloon at a distal end thereof; inflating the balloon of the balloon catheter when the balloon is positioned within a distal end of the catheter to engage and enlarge the diameter of the catheter at its distal end; thereafter, deflating the balloon; moving the balloon catheter out from the interior of the catheter to place the deflated balloon at a position on the distal side of the material to be removed; inflating the balloon to a diameter sufficient to engage and dislodge the material to be removed and to plug the enlarged distal end of the catheter; thereafter using the inflated balloon and the enlarged distal end of the catheter to dislodge and capture the material in the enlarged distal end of the catheter; using the inflated balloon to plug the enlarged distal end of the catheter to entrap the dislodged material in the enlarged distal end of the catheter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 7, comprising the further step of removing the catheter from the blood vessel with the inflated balloon plugged into the enlarged distal end of the catheter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the material is a thrombus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the blood vessel is a coronary artery.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the balloon catheter is initially positioned within the interior of the catheter so that the balloon is at the distal end of the catheter and wherein the step of moving the catheter is carried out by moving the catheter together with the balloon catheter.