Methods of and systems for performing a medical procedure are herein disclosed. The presently disclosed system generally includes a catheter that is navigated to a target location in a heart of a patient. The catheter extends along a longitudinal axis and includes a catheter body, a pump assembly connected to the catheter body, a cannula connected to the pump assembly and comprising one or more inlet ports, and a cage connected to one or both of the cannula and the pump assembly. When the pump assembly is operated, blood is caused to flow through the cage and through the one or more inlet ports to create a preferential fluid flow through a preferential flow zone of the cage. A biomaterial can thereby be captured at the preferential flow zone.

A flexible shaft arrangement is described herein having a flexible hollow shaft (1, 2) which has an end at the drive side and an end at the output side, wherein the hollow shaft is reinforced sectionally between these ends by a core (3, 4) extending in its interior. Stiffer and more flexible sections can hereby be selectively positioned within the shaft arrangement.

A flexible shaft arrangement is described herein having a flexible hollow shaft (1, 2) which has an end at the drive side and an end at the output side, wherein the hollow shaft is reinforced sectionally between these ends by a core (3, 4) extending in its interior. Stiffer and more flexible sections can hereby be selectively positioned within the shaft arrangement.