Patent attributes
A clot retrieval catheter can have a tailored, highly flexible body section capable of navigating tortuous routes and an expandable tip for local flow restriction/arrest. The body can be a support tube of struts with a plurality of ribs and one or more axial spines. The support tube can also be a tubular section with a pattern of radial slots to increase flexibility while inhibiting kinking and binding. The ribs and spines can have strut widths which vary along the length of the support tube or can have curves with a non-planar cross section. The ribs can be formed such that they can move when subjected to the loads of a thrombectomy procedure. The structure of the support tube can also be a braided or woven pattern of strands. The support tube can also have a polymer jacket or membrane disposed around at least a portion of the structure.
