Appeal No. 2000-0323 Page 15
Application No. 08/608,920
Ruggio further discloses with reference to Figure 6, an
improved aspirator assembly 210 comprises a catheter assembly
212 connected to a y-connector 214 at the distal end 216 of
the y-connector 214, a connector assembly 218 connected to the
proximal end 220 of the y-connector 214 and an evacuation
module 222 which is connected to the proximal end 224 of the
connector assembly 218. The aspirator assembly 210 further
comprises an infusion assembly 226 which is connected to a
side arm 228 of the y-connector 214. The catheter assembly
212 comprises a catheter 236 which travels over a steerable
guidewire 238. The catheter 236 comprises an elongated,
flexible tube 240 attached to a connector 242. Preferably,
and as illustrated in Figure 8a, the elongated tube 240
defines a first lumen 244 (for the guidewire 238) and a second
lumen 246 (for aspiration of occlusions and for introducing
various fluids such as saline, which is used for flushing the
catheter 22; a radiopaque contrast agent, which is used to
determine the patency of the vessel or chamber under
fluoroscopic examination, or for providing fluoroscopic
guidance of the catheterization process; or any medication
required), which are separated by a partition 248. In this
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