Devices for removal of acute blockages from blood vessels

A catheter having an expandable distal tip, the catheter tip having a restricted delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration, and comprising a support frame (904) and an elastic sleeve (909) extending over the frame, the sleeve (909) being expandable in the deployed configuration to define an enlarged distal tip; wherein the support frame (904) is cut from a tube and the cut pattern defines the annular members (906) and the axially extending connections (908) between the annular members (906) and characterized in that the support frame (904) comprises: a flexible region (905) just proximal to the expandable distal tip; and a section (907) proximal to the highly flexible region (905) that is configured to expand to accept a clot.