Adjustable ring stripper for more efficiently and effectively removing plaque from arteries

• US 20180070979A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endovascular Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Endovascular Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Wiita, Thomas A., Kelly, Thomas K.
• Granted Patent: US 11,839,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32056 Surgical snare instruments for removing or smashing calculi A61B2017/2212; tonsillotomes A61B17/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3207 Atherectomy devices working by cutting or abrading; Similar devices specially adapted for non-vascular obstructions A61B17/32037 takes precedence; endoscopic cutting instruments A61B17/320016
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320708 Curettes, e.g. hollow scraping instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320725 with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements A61B17/32075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32075 Pullback cutting; combined forward and pullback cutting, e.g. with cutters at both sides of the plaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320008 Scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320741 for stripping the intima or the internal plaque from a blood vessel, e.g. for endarterectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/072 Encapsulated stents, e.g. wire or whole stent embedded in lining

Abstract

An adjustable loop ring stripper for stretching an arterial wall outwardly as plaque is excavated inwardly.

Claims

1. A ring stripper for more efficient and more effective removal of plaque from an artery comprising:

an elongated manual control;

a variable size loop integral with a distal end of the elongated control and having an initial size consistent with an interface between an arterial wall and a plaque deposit within an artery;

the variable size loop comprising structure by which the initial size of the loop is expanded while located at the interface to stretch the arterial wall away from the plaque, with the loop also accurately dissecting the plaque from the stretched arterial wall.

2. A ring stripper according to claim 1 wherein the loop comprises closely spaced proximal ends.

3. A ring stripper according to claim 1 wherein the control comprises two shape-retaining wires connected at their respective distal ends to closely spaced proximal ends of the loop for altering the size of the loop.

4. A ring stripper according to claim 3 further comprising an elongated sheath in which the two wires are separately slideably disposed, with the loop disposed adjacent to a distal end of the sheath.

5. A ring stripper according to claim 1 further comprising a sheath in which the elongated control is slideably disposed and wherein the loop comprises an internal bias such that the loop size is variably defined by the distance the control is extended beyond a distal end of the sheath.

6. A ring stripper according to claim 1 wherein the variable size loop comprises a dissecting loop in combination with at least one expandable balloon forming a part of the loop by which the loop is expanded to stretch the arterial wall away from the plaque concurrent with dissection.

7. A method of more effectively and more efficiently removing plaque from an artery, comprising the acts of:

placing a dissecting loop of a ring stripper at an interface between an arterial wall and a plaque deposit within an artery;

expanding the size of the loop with a force materially stretching the arterial wall adjacent to the interface; and

dissecting plaque from the stretched arterial wall by manipulation and size changing of the loop.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein a manual control is used to effect the loop expansion.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the manual control is effectuated by separately and collectively manipulating two wires connected to the loop, the wires being disposed in an elongated sheath.

10. A method according to claim 7 wherein the expanding act comprising internally biasing the loop so that the loop size is varied by the distance the loop is extended from a hollow sheath.

11. A method according to claim 7 wherein the expanding act comprising internally inflating a balloon portion of the loop to enlarge the size of the loop.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the size of the loop is changed by manual manipulation of at least one of the wires.

13. A method according to claim 7 wherein the expanding step both materially stretches the arterial wall outwardly and urges the plaque inwardly.

14. A method of more effectively and more efficiently removing plaque from an arterial wall of an artery, comprising the acts of:

outwardly stretching the arterial wall away from the plaque at an interface between the plaque and the arterial; and

severing the plaque from the stretched arterial wall at the interface.