Method of performing a thrombectomy procedure

Claim 1

A thrombectomy procedure comprising the steps of: (a) providing a rotating intravascular catheter having (1) a flexible jacket with opposed proximal and distal ends and a central passageway extending between the ends, (2) a working head located at the distal end of the jacket including a high-speed canalizing tip adapted for removing thrombus from the lumen of a vessel, the tip having a drive shaft rotatably supported on the working head and including a guideway in communication with the central passageway, the guideway being further adapted to route a guidewire, probe or the like distally through the tip, (3) a flexible drive cable extending through the central passageway of the jacket for rotating the tip and (4) a plurality of relatively high capacity fluid infusion ports formed in the jacket and in fluid communication with the central passageway; (b) providing means coupled to the drive cable for rotating the tip at speeds in the range of from 0-100,000 RPM; (c) inserting the catheter jacket a selected distance into the lumen of a vessel; (d) inserting a guide wire into the central passageway and advancing the jacket over the guide wire another selected distance; (e) infusing a fluid contrast media through the ports at a volumetric flow rate from 5-1200 milliliters per minute into the lumen of the vessel, allowing precise manipulation of the guide wire to the located site of the thrombus using suitable visualization techniques; (f) removing the guide wire from the jacket and lumen, inserting the removable drive assembly and coupling it to the tip; and (g) rotating the tip to remove the thrombus.