US 12496077

An analysis of U.S. Patent 12,496,077 has been conducted based on the provided documentation.

Summary of U.S. Patent 12,496,077

• Title: Systems and methods for removing undesirable material within a circulatory system
• Assignee: Angiodynamics Inc
• Inventors: Kevin Swift, Seth Cote, Mark Girard
• Filing Date: June 30, 2025
• Issue Date: December 16, 2025
• Abstract: The invention provides systems and methods for the removal of undesirable materials, such as blood clots, from vessels. It focuses on using at least one cannula to remove the material "substantially en bloc" (i.e., in one piece), thereby avoiding fragmentation, while minimizing fluid loss to the patient.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

The patent asserts several independent claims covering both the medical device itself and the methods of its use.

• Device Claim 1: This claim protects a medical device comprising a cannula (a flexible tube) made of a polymer. Its key features are a specially-shaped "stepped" tip and an expandable element attached to this tip via a collar. Critically, both the expandable element and the collar are embedded within the polymer wall of the cannula itself, creating an integrated, seamless design.

• Device Claim 2: This claim is for a more specific version of the device, identifying it as an "aspiration catheter" used for suction. It features a polymer wall, a stepped distal end, and an expandable funnel connected by a collar. As with the first claim, the funnel and collar are embedded within the catheter's wall.

• Device Claim 3: This claim describes a catheter that includes a reinforcement member within its wall to provide additional stiffness and prevent collapse under suction. Like the other versions, it has a stepped tip and an expandable element attached by a collar. In this embodiment, the expandable element, the reinforcement member, and the collar are all embedded within the catheter's wall.

• Method Claim 1: This claim covers the process of using the system. The method involves guiding a primary suction cannula to the site of the blockage, positioning a second cannula elsewhere in the circulatory system to return fluid, and then applying suction through the first cannula to remove the material in one piece. The fluid (blood) that is suctioned out with the material is filtered and then returned to the patient through the second cannula, preventing significant blood loss.

• Method Claim 2: This claim outlines a method using a system of two suction cannulas—a larger outer cannula and a smaller inner cannula that slides within the outer one. This allows a surgeon to navigate to a general area with the larger cannula and then extend the smaller, more flexible inner cannula into narrower or more tortuous vessel branches to remove hard-to-reach portions of the undesirable material.

CAFC Docket Search

A search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026 for appeals related to patent number 12,496,077 was conducted. As of today's date, no records were found. This indicates that the patent is not currently the subject of an appeal at the Federal Circuit.