Current technology for treating cerebral arteries occluded by thrombus may take hours to reestablish flow in the artery. Furthermore, known apparatus and methods for treating cerebral thrombus may be ineffective or only partially effective at resolving thrombus, and may additionally result in distal embolization or embolization of uninvolved arteries. The risk and degree of permanent neurological deficit increases rapidly with increased time from onset of symptoms to blood flow restoration.