as shown in fig1 the expanded distal tip 104 has a cross sectional diameter measured with respect to the inner wall 106 that is greater than a cross sectional diameter of the intermediate portion of the shaft 103 measured with respect to the inner wall 106 as also shown in fig1 the expanded distal tip 104 has a cross sectional diameter measured with respect to the outer wall 108 that is greater than a cross sectional diameter of the intermediate portion of the shaft 103 measured with respect to the outer wall 108 fig1 and 5 also show that the expanded distal tip 104 may include one or more tip apertures 114 running radially outward from the inner wall 106 of the shaft 102 to the outer wall 108 of the shaft which may be used to receive various diagnostic instruments and or for aspirating embolic debris the distal tip 104 may optionally include a soft and substantially flexible atraumatic material 116 near the distal end 107 of the distal tip 104 the atraumatic material 116 may be made out of any suitable material such as polyethyltetrafluride pet polytetraflurethylene ptfe polyamide or any other polyester compounds this atraumatic portion 116 of the distal tip 104 may optionally be coated or constructed with a material of higher atomic density to aid in visualizing the distal tip 104 for instance under fluoroscopy 0046 fig1 and 5 show that the catheter apparatus 100 may include a radially expandable segment such as an inflatable balloon segment 118 disposed on the intermediate portion 103 of the shaft 102 the inflatable balloon segment 118 may be made out of any suitable material such as but not limited to pet.