Atherectomy advancing probe and method of use
First Claim
1. An atherectomy probe for incrementally advancing a rotatable cutter to remove obstructive tissue from an artery comprising:
- a distal support;
a proximal support;
a torque tube slidably held by said distal support and said proximal support, said torque tube having a distal end operatively engageable with the cutter;
a motor operatively connected to the proximal end of said torque tube for rotating said torque tube;
a connector for selectively holding said motor stationary with respect to said distal support;
means for selectively advancing said proximal support toward said distal support while said connector holds said motor stationary; and
means for incrementally moving said motor toward said distal support to the extent allowed by said proximal support to advance the cutter from said distal support when said connector is released.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An atherectomy probe for incrementally advancing a torque tube with a rotating cutter through an artery to remove obstructive tissue from the lumen of the artery comprises a fixed distal support and a moveable proximal support for slideably restraining the torque tube. The torque tube is rotated about a longitudinal axis by a motor which is slideably mounted inside a housing of a drive unit. A rod extending substantially parallel to the torque tube interconnects the distal support and the motor. The rod selectively secures the torque tube from longitudinally sliding with respect to the distal support. Adjacent to the rod is an elongated advancement tape having juxtaposed dual layers attached between the distal support and the proximal support. In its operation, a tape divider operatively engages with the advancement tape for aligning the tape. A tape advancer which cooperates with the tape divider has two pins which insert between the layers of the advancement tape for laterally extending the layers to advance the proximal support toward the distal support. An advancement lever connected to the motor is incrementally advanced in a distal direction in relation to the distal support to advance the rotating torque tube with cutter for cutting the obstructive tissue.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An atherectomy probe for incrementally advancing a rotatable cutter to remove obstructive tissue from an artery comprising:
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a distal support; a proximal support; a torque tube slidably held by said distal support and said proximal support, said torque tube having a distal end operatively engageable with the cutter; a motor operatively connected to the proximal end of said torque tube for rotating said torque tube; a connector for selectively holding said motor stationary with respect to said distal support; means for selectively advancing said proximal support toward said distal support while said connector holds said motor stationary; and means for incrementally moving said motor toward said distal support to the extent allowed by said proximal support to advance the cutter from said distal support when said connector is released. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An atherectomy probe for incrementally advancing a rotatable cutter to remove obstructive tissue from an artery, the probe comprising:
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a distal support; a proximal support; a torque tube having a distal end connectable to the cutter, said torque tube longitudinally slidable in relation to said proximal support and said distal support; a drive unit operatively coupled to said proximal support, said drive unit having a motor slidably mounted in a drive unit housing, said motor being operatively coupled to the proximal end of said torque tube for rotating said torque tube about a longitudinal axis; a rod fixedly attached to said distal support and extending substantially parallel to said torque tube, said rod being selectively engageable with said motor for securing said torque tube from longitudinally sliding with respect to said distal support; an elongated advancement tape having juxtaposed dual layers attached between said distal support and said proximal support, said advancement tape having said torque tube interposed between said layers; a tape divider operatively engageable with said advancement tape for aligning said tape; a tape advancer for cooperating with said tape divider, said tape advancer having two pins which insert between said layers for laterally extending each said layer to advance said proximal support toward said distal support; and an advancement lever connected to said motor for incrementally advancing said torque tube longitudinally in a distal direction in relation to said distal support. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for incrementally advancing a torque tube with a cutter through obstructive tissue in an artery to cut a continuous passageway during an atherectomy procedure by manipulating an atherectomy probe having a distal support, a proximal support, a housing attached to the proximal support and a motor operatively connected to said torque tube for rotating said torque tube, said motor being slidably mounted in said housing and selectively attachable to said distal support, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting said cutter coupled to the distal end of said torque tube through said artery until said cutter contacts said obstructive tissue; (b) selectively securing said torque tube from longitudinally sliding with respect to said distal support; (c) advancing said housing and said proximal support toward said distal support; (d) releasing said torque tube to longitudinally slide with respect to said distal support; and (e) moving said torque tube longitudinally in a distal direction in relation to said distal support to incrementally cut through said obstructive tissue. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification