A thrombus removal apparatus (10) includes a catheter (12) having at its distal end (14) a solenoid coil section (16) within which there is disposed a piercing element (20) made of electromagnetic material. Within the solenoid coil section (16) there is provided a solenoid coil (26) which can be powered to generate an electromagnetic field which causes the piercing element (20) to reciprocate into and out of the coil section (16), in practice to pierce into and fragment a thrombus disposed in a patients vessel. An aspiration unit may be provided for aspirating thrombus fragments into the assembly (10) for removal from the patients vasculature. The apparatus (10) is able to remove dense thrombus material from within a patient, which cannot be otherwise removed by means of thrombolytic agents.
