Abstract: An aspiration catheter having a braid formed from a continuous braiding process and having a braided distal tip design with braid terminations joining strand ends is presented herein. The braid terminations can include sleeves, bands, crimps, or other types of connectors that secure pairs ends of oppositely-wound strands to each other at a distal circumference of the braid. The braid terminations can include radiopaque material to help visualize the distal end of the catheter during a procedure.

Abstract: An introducer tool for use with a vascular entryway system and method. While a radially self-expanding distal section of an aspiration catheter is in a radially non-compressed state, an aspiration catheter is pre-assembled into a flared proximal section of the introducer tool. Together as a single unit, the introducer tool with the aspiration catheter pre-assembled therein is introduced into a hemostasis valve and a tapered guide sheath luer. The aspiration catheter is pushed through the introducer tool. While traversing the compressing section of the lumen of the shaft of the introducer tool and/or the tapered inner profile of a tapered guide sheath luer, the radially self-expanding distal section of the aspiration catheter is radially compressed to be receivable in a lumen of a guide sheath catheter. While the radially self-expanding distal section is radially compressed, the aspiration catheter is slid into the lumen of the guide sheath catheter.