INTRAVASCULAR THROMBOEMBOLECTOMY DEVICE AND METHOD USING THE SAME

1 . A device for use in a body lumen comprising:

a pusher tube and an expandable compartment;

wherein the expandable compartment comprises:

a control element comprising a proximal end and a distal end;

a reconfigurable element, said reconfigurable element being associated with a supportive element and the control element; and

a supportive element, said supportive element being associated with the control element and the reconfigurable element, wherein the supportive element is configured to adjust a radial force and a configuration of the reconfigurable element.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the control element comprises a wire, cable, or braid.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the reconfigurable element and/or the supportive element comprise(s) a plurality of wires.

4 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein the reconfigurable element can self expand into a relaxed expandable state to form a compartment or basket.

5 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the reconfigurable element comprises a plurality of cells, and a size of a cell and a thickness of wires surrounding the cell vary within the reconfigurable element.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the supportive element is in a form of strut that is manufactured from a same piece of material as the reconfigurable element and automatically connected to the reconfigurable element.

7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the supportive element is in a form of wire mesh or a braid.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the pusher tube is connected to the expandable compartment.

9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the control element is surrounded by the pusher tube and can move freely inside the pusher tube.

10 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the supportive element comprises a first configuration and a second configuration, said first configuration having a smaller angle between the supporting element and the control element than the angle in the second configuration.

11 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the supportive element comprises a first configuration and a second configuration, said first configuration having an outer diameter which is smaller than an outer diameter of the second configuration.

12 . The device according to claim 10 and 11 , wherein projection of the control element to a distal direction causes transition of the supportive element to the first configuration such that the radial force of the reconfigurable element is reduced.

13 . The device according to claim 10 and 11 , wherein projection of the control element to a proximal direction causes transition of the supportive element to the second configuration such that the radial force of the reconfigurable element is increased.

14 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to remove an occlusion blocking a blood vessel, to open a blocked section of a blood vessel and/or to increase a flow in a blood vessel.

15 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the reconfigurable element is joined forming a closed-end reconfigurable element, or not jointed forming an open-end reconfigurable element.

16 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the sides of the reconfigurable element are joined forming a closed-sided reconfigurable element, or not joined forming an open-sided reconfigurable element.

17 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the supportive element comprises a plurality of wires, and said wires are extendible between the proximal and distal ends, and substantially surrounded by the reconfigurable element.

18 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the reconfigurable element and the supportive element are in a form of wire mesh, which can be extendible between the proximal and distal ends, and the supportive element is substantially surrounded by the reconfigurable element, thereby forming a double-layered reconfigurable element.

19 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the reconfigurable element comprises a plurality of linear wires aligned substantially in parallel and a plurality of wires in a substantially circular form, and the supportive element comprises at least two wires that is associated with the reconfigurable element and the control element, thereby forming an umbrella-shaped expandable compartment.

20 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the reconfigurable element and a distal end of the supportive element are not connected and move independently.

21 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein an atraumatic flexible coil is attached to the distal tip of the reconfigurable element.

22 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a distal expandable structure and a proximal expandable structure.

23 . The device according to claim 22 , wherein the first expandable structure comprises a reconfigurable element, a control element, and optionally a supportive element.

24 . The device according to claim 22 , wherein said the second expandable structure comprises a reconfigurable element and optionally an enclosing element.

25 . The device according to claim 22 , wherein a distance between the distal and proximal expandable structures is adjustable.

26 . A method of removing an occlusion present in a first position of a blood vessel comprising:

introducing the device according to claim 1 into the blood vessel;

locating the device at the first position of the blood vessel;

adjusting the radial force and/or configuration of the reconfigurable element of the device; and

removing the occlusion from the first location.

27 . The method according to claim 26 wherein removing the occlusion further comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of:

engaging the occlusion at least partially with the device;

disassembling the occlusion into small-sized debris and collecting at least part of the debris; and

expanding the area of the blood vessel.

28 . The method according to claim 26 wherein the method is configured to be applied for treatment of stroke.

29 . A method of increasing a flow in a blood vessel comprising:

introducing the device according to claim 1 into the blood vessel;

locating the device at about the first position of the blood vessel that is in need of increasing the flow; and

adjusting the radial force and/or configuration of the reconfigurable element of the device so as to expand an area of the first position.

30 . A method of removing an occlusion present in a first position of a blood vessel comprising:

introducing a device according to claim 1 into the blood vessel;

locating the device at about the first position of the blood vessel;

supporting the expanded status of the reconfigurable element by extending a support element associated with the reconfigurable element by proximal movement of the control element;

further supporting a more expanded status of the reconfigurable element by extending a support element associated with the reconfigurable element by proximal movement of the control element;

grabbing the occlusion with the reconfigurable element in its expanded status;

shifting the configuration of the reconfigurable element toward a more relaxed status by distally moving the control element; and

removing the occlusion from the first location.

31 . A method of removing an occlusion present in a first position of a blood vessel comprising:

introducing a device according to claim 22 into the blood vessel;

locating the device distal to the position of the blood vessel;

pulling the pusher tube proximally to grab the occlusion between the two expandable structures in its expanded status;

supporting the expanded status of the reconfigurable element by extending a support element associated with the reconfigurable element by proximal movement of the control element;

grabbing the clot with the proximal expandable structure;

catching the clot debris with the distal expendable structure;

optionally retrieving the device while pulling the control element to increase the radial force of the expendable structure and further support an expanded status of the expandable structure; and

removing the occlusion from the first location.