ENDOVASCULAR SNARE FOR CAPTURE AND REMOVAL OF ARTERIAL EMBOLI

摘要

A snare for capture and removal of arterial emboli is disclosed. The snare is formed from a basket of interlaced filamentary members or a skeleton of interconnected flexible members. The basket has an opening at one end. A tongue extends from the basket adjacent to the opening, the tongue being offset from the basket centerline. A tether is attached to the tongue. The basket is collapsible into a collapsed configuration for delivery within an artery via a catheter. The basket is resiliently biased to expand into an open configuration upon release from the catheter. The tongue has a leading edge that engages the embolus and separates it from the artery when the snare is drawn toward it using the tether.