Complex wire formed devices
The devices and methods described herein relate to jointless construction of complex structures. Such devices have applicability in through-out the body, including clearing of blockages within body lumens, such as the vasculature, by addressing the frictional resistance on the obstruction prior to attempting to translate and/or mobilize the obstruction within the body lumen.
1. A method of improving blood flow in a blood vessel having an obstruction, the method comprising:
advancing a catheter into the blood vessel, the catheter containing an obstruction removal device having an expandable mesh structure extending between a near end and a far end and comprising a continuous construction of a metal alloy, having a plurality of interconnected segments, wherein the expandable mesh structure includes an intermediate portion between first and second regions of the structure in which the mesh structure converges inwardly, and wherein at least one of the plurality of segments of the mesh structure along the intermediate portion extends longitudinally and substantially parallel to another of the segments of the mesh structure;
deploying the far end and the near end of the mesh structure respectively beyond a distal end and a proximal end of the obstruction such that the mesh structure spans across the obstruction and the intermediate portion expands within the vessel to embed into the obstruction;
holding the obstruction via the intermediate portion of the mesh structure between the first and second regions of the structure in which the mesh structure converges inwardly; and
withdrawing the obstruction removal device and obstruction from the vessel to improve blood flow in the blood vessel.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the intermediate portion forms a shaped section about the obstruction between the first and second regions.
3. The method of claim 1 , where deploying the far end of the obstruction removal device beyond the distal end of the obstruction comprises withdrawing the catheter relative to the obstruction removal device such that the far end of the obstruction removal device remains distal to the obstruction.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the intermediate portion comprises at least one filament.
5. The method of claim 1 , where the mesh structure of the obstruction removal device is self-expanding.
6. The method of claim 1 , where allowing the intermediate portion to embed into the obstruction comprises allowing the intermediate portion to embed into the obstruction without substantially dislocating or mobilizing the obstruction within the blood vessel.
7. The method of claim 1 , where the obstruction removal device is fabricated from a process selected from the group consisting of a photochemical etching, mechanical drilling, weaving, braiding, and laser cutting.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising advancing a catheter adjacent to the obstruction and where advancing the obstruction removal device comprises advancing the obstruction removal device and catheter through the catheter to the obstruction.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising withdrawing at least a portion of the obstruction removal device within the catheter and removing the catheter from the vessel.
10. The method of claim 1 , where the obstruction comprises a blood clot, plaque, cholesterol, thrombus, a naturally occurring foreign body, a non-naturally occurring foreign body or a combination thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 , where the first region is located distal of a proximal end of the mesh structure, and proximal of a distal end of the mesh structure.
12. The method of claim 11 , where the second region is located distal of a proximal end of the mesh structure, and proximal of a distal end of the mesh structure.
13. The method of claim 12 , where the second region is located distal of the first region.
14. A method of improving blood flow in a blood vessel having an obstruction, the method comprising:
advancing an obstruction removal device within the blood vessel where the obstruction removal device comprises a mesh structure extending between a near end and a far end, where the mesh structure comprises a continuous wire construction with a plurality of wires, wherein the mesh structure includes an intermediate portion between first and second regions of the structure in which the wires converge inwardly, and wherein at least one of the wires along the intermediate portion extends longitudinally and substantially parallel to another one of the wires;
deploying the far end and the near end of the mesh structure such that the mesh structure spans across the obstruction and the intermediate portion expands within the vessel to embed into the obstruction;
holding the obstruction via the intermediate portion of the mesh structure between the first and second regions of the structure in which the mesh structure converges inwardly; and
withdrawing the obstruction removal device and obstruction from the vessel to improve blood flow in the blood vessel.
15. The method of claim 14 , where the intermediate portion forms a shaped section about the obstruction between the first and second regions.
16. The method of claim 14 , where deploying the obstruction removal device comprises advancing a catheter through the obstruction.
17. The method of claim 14 , where the mesh structure of the obstruction removal device is self-expanding.
18. The method of claim 14 , where allowing the intermediate portion to embed into the obstruction comprises allowing the intermediate portion to embed into the obstruction without substantially dislocating or mobilizing the obstruction within the blood vessel.
19. The method of claim 14 , where the first region is located distal of a proximal end of the mesh structure, and proximal of a distal end of the mesh structure.
20. The method of claim 19 , where the second region is located distal of a proximal end of the mesh structure, and proximal of a distal end of the mesh structure.
21. The method of claim 20 , where the second region is located distal of the first region.