Covidien LP

Rick Williams

Brad Jackson

John Nguyen

Anthony Huynh

Peter Skujins

Maria De Jesus Sanson

Francis Bernard

Frank Scarpine

In some examples, a catheter comprises an inner liner, an outer jacket, and a structural support member positioned between at least a portion of the inner liner and the outer jacket. The inner liner, the outer jacket, and the structural support member define a catheter body that comprises a proximal portion having a first outer diameter, a distal portion having a second outer diameter less than the first outer diameter, the distal portion including a distal end of the catheter body, and a medial portion positioned between the proximal portion and the distal portion, the medial portion tapering from the first outer diameter to the second outer diameter.

Catheter

In some examples of a method of forming a catheter, a structural support member is positioned over an inner liner. Prior to being positioned over the inner liner, the structural support member tapers in diameter along at least a portion of a length of the structural support member.

Catheter including tapering coil member

An aspiration catheter can be used to capture and retrieve vascular debris from blood vessels. The aspiration catheter can include a distal segment having ports positioned along its longitudinal length and about its circumference. The distal segment can capture thrombus at least partially on an exterior of the distal segment when aspiration is applied through the ports, and retrieve the thrombus when the elongate member is retracted proximally. The distal segment can be modified from a non-collapsed configuration to a collapsed configuration when aspiration is applied through the ports. The distal segment can have projections arranged along and around its circumference. The projections can be configured to slide distally through a thrombus within a blood vessel and to pull the thrombus when the elongate member is retracted proximally.

Clot removal by adhesion

In some examples, an outer jacket of a catheter body comprises a first section that decreases in durometer along a length of the first section in a direction towards a distal end of the catheter body, and a second section more distal than the first section and including the distal end of the catheter body, the second section having a higher durometer than a distal portion of the first section. The second section of the outer jacket and the inner liner define a distal opening of the catheter body that is configured to resist geometric deformation when the distal end of the catheter body is engaged with a guidewire.

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Laguna Niguel, CA, United States of America

Rick Williams