Methods and apparatus for treating pulmonary embolism

Abstract

A device and method for intravascular treatment of an embolism is disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology, for example, is directed toward a clot treatment device that includes a support member configured to extend through a delivery catheter and a plurality of clot engagement members positioned about the circumference of a distal portion of the support member. The clot engagement members can be configured to penetrate clot material along an arcuate path and mechanically macerate clot and release embolic particles when re-sheathed into the delivery catheter.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A clot treatment device for treating a pulmonary embolism within a blood vessel, the clot treatment device being moveable between a low-profile undeployed state and a deployed state, the clot treatment device comprising:
 a support member configured to extend through a delivery catheter, wherein the support member has a proximal portion and a distal portion;   a plurality of clot engagement members positioned circumferentially about at least an area of the distal portion of the support member, wherein individual clot engagement members have a curved portion;   wherein the clot engagement members are configured to penetrate clot material along an arcuate path and mechanically macerate clot material and release embolic particles when re-sheathed into the delivery catheter.   
     
     
         2 . The clot treatment device of  claim 1  wherein, in the deployed state, individual curved portions of the clot engagement members project radially outwardly relative to the support member in a curve that has a proximally extending section which defines a proximally facing concave portion, and wherein the individual curved portions further include an end section that curves radially inwardly from the proximally extending section. 
     
     
         3 . A method of treating a pulmonary embolism, comprising:
 accessing a venous vessel of a patient;   inserting a catheter in the vessel and urging the catheter through the vessel, through chambers of the patient's heart and into a pulmonary artery until a distal end of the catheter is located at a region distal of a pulmonary embolism;   delivering a treatment device having a plurality of radially extending members through the catheter;   disturbing the embolus by mechanical maceration of the embolus to release embolic particles without capturing the embolic particles in an embolic protection device; and   establishing one or more blood flow channels through the embolus wherein the one or more blood flow channels facilitate natural lysis of the embolus.   
     
     
         4 . A method of treating a pulmonary embolism comprising:
 delivering an embolectomy device through the heart to a pulmonary embolism that at least partially restricts blood flow through a pulmonary vessel, wherein the embolectomy device comprises an expandable cylindrical section and a radial expansion member configured to expand outwardly from the cylindrical section;   deploying the embolectomy device within the pulmonary embolism so as to restore blood flow through said pulmonary embolism,   wherein deploying the embolectomy device comprises expanding the cylindrical section within the pulmonary embolism such that the cylindrical section forms an expanded flow channel through the pulmonary embolism and expanding the radial expansion member to a greater extent than the cylindrical section, and wherein at full expansion of the cylindrical member the radial expansion member projects outward from the cylindrical member;   fragmenting the pulmonary embolism while moving the embolectomy device and at least a portion of the pulmonary embolism along the pulmonary vessel; and   withdrawing the embolectomy device and at least a portion of the pulmonary embolism from the pulmonary vessel.   
     
     
         5 . A device for treating a pulmonary embolism that at least partially restricts blood flow through a pulmonary vessel, the device comprising:
 an elongated shaft having a proximal region and a distal region;   an expandable braid attached to the distal region of the elongated shaft, the braid having a plurality of radially extending portions and at least one cylindrical portion, and the radially extending portions and the cylindrical portion being configured to move from a compressed state sized to fit in a delivery catheter to an expanded state;   wherein the cylindrical portion is between a pair of the radially extending portions, and in the expanded state the cylindrical portion is configured to press radially outward against the pulmonary embolism;   wherein the radially extending portions extend radially outward from the cylindrical portion in the expanded state such that portions of the pulmonary embolism are retained between the radially extending portions; and   wherein the cylindrical portion has a first length along a longitudinal direction of the braid in the expanded state and the radially extending portions have a second length along the longitudinal direction of the braid in the expanded state that is less that the first length; and   wherein the radially extending portions and/or the cylindrical portions are configured to elongate and/or contract when re-sheathed into the delivery catheter to mechanically macerate clot and release embolic particles.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the individual radially extending portions is disk-shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the individual radially extending portions include a curved portion and a linear portion.