Apparatus and methods for clot disruption and evacuation

1. Apparatus for disrupting a clot in a blood vessel, the apparatus comprising:

a catheter body having a proximal length and a treatment length;

at least one port along the proximal length of the catheter body;

at least one infusion opening along the treatment length of the catheter body;

at least one aspiration opening along the treatment length of the catheter body;

a first lumen within the catheter body in fluid communication with the at least one infusion opening and in fluid communication with the at least one aspiration opening;

a valve member along the treatment length of the catheter body, the valve member being configured to selectively open and close fluid communication between the port and the at least one aspiration opening, wherein the valve member comprises a body that is translatable longitudinally within the first lumen, and wherein the body of the valve member comprises a first position located proximally of the at least one aspiration opening; and

an agitator that is translatable longitudinally within the first lumen, wherein the agitator comprises an elongate member having a non-linear portion, and wherein the body of the valve member is located at a distal portion of the agitator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the body of the valve member is in the first position the apparatus is configured to infuse a thrombolytic agent into the vessel through the first lumen and the at least one infusion opening, and when the body of the valve member is in the second position the apparatus is configured to aspirate the dissolved clot, and any pieces of solid clot that may be present, from the vessel through the at least one aspiration opening and the first lumen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an aspiration source; wherein when the body of the valve member is in the first position the body substantially blocks fluid communication within the first lumen between the at least one aspiration opening and the aspiration source, and when the body of the valve member is in the second position the body does not block fluid communication within the first lumen between the at least one aspiration opening and the aspiration source.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising an infusion source; wherein when the body of the valve member is in the first position the body substantially blocks fluid communication within the first lumen between the at least one aspiration opening and the at least one infusion source, the body of the valve member therefore being configured to cause fluid flowing from the infusion source to flow out of the first lumen through the at least one infusion opening.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first expandable member along the treatment length of the catheter body, the first expandable member defining a first expandable internal volume.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a second lumen within the catheter body in fluid communication with the first expandable internal volume of the first expandable member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a second expandable member along the treatment length of the catheter body, the second expandable member defining a second expandable internal volume.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a third lumen within the catheter body in fluid communication with the second expandable internal volume of the second expandable member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second lumen terminates at the first expandable internal volume of the first expandable member and the third lumen terminates at the second expandable internal volume of the second expandable member.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one infusion opening and the at least one aspiration opening are located between the first and second expandable members.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one infusion opening comprises a plurality of infusion openings that are spaced radially around the catheter body, over a radial span of greater than 180° about the longitudinal axis of the catheter body.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the infusion openings are located on a portion of the catheter body that comprises no lumens other than the first lumen and the second lumen, the first lumen and the second lumen being collectively sufficient to facilitate infusion through the infusion openings, aspiration through the at least one aspiration opening, and expansion of one of the expandable members.

13. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the catheter body comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion secured to one another at a joint, and the first expandable member surrounds the joint.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the joint is a butt joint.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one infusion opening comprises a plurality of infusion openings, and the infusion openings are spaced from one another both radially and longitudinally with respect to the treatment length of the catheter body.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the infusion openings are grouped in groups of three, with each group of three infusion openings being located at a same position along the treatment length of the catheter body.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the infusion openings in each group of three infusion openings are uniformly radially spaced 120° from one another.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the agitator is configured to mechanically disrupt the clot and/or to disperse lytic to facilitate dissolving the clot.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first position of the body of the valve member closes fluid communication between the port and the aspiration opening, and wherein the second position of the body of the valve member opens fluid communication between the port and the aspiration opening.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first diameter of the body of the valve member is larger than a second diameter of a proximal portion of the agitator.