Atherectomy catheter having axially-disposed cutting edge
First Claim
1. An atherectomy catheter comprising:
- a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end;
a cylindrical cutting head rotatably mounted at the distal end of the catheter body, said cylindrical head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior and an axially elongated aperture in said wall, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture, said aperture being helically disposed about a central axis of the cylindrical cutting head and subtending less than a complete turn thereabout;
means within the catheter body for rotating the cylindrical head; and
means disposed adjacent the elongated aperture of the cylindrical head for severing atheromatous material and diverting severed material into the interior of said head as the head is rotated.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Atherectomy catheters are described having a cylindrical cutting head rotatably mounted at the distal end of a catheter body. The head has an axially elongated aperture and an open interior. A severing means is disposed adjacent the elongated aperture such that atheromatous material invaginated by the head is severed and diverted into the interior of the head. A preferred embodiment has the elongated aperture helically-disposed about the central axis of the cylindrical head and a cutting means formed integrally along the periphery of the aperture. Another preferred embodiment has the cylindrical head provided with a tapered distal end that extends distally from a housing for the head and incorporates an extension of the elongated aperture.
-
Citations
55 Claims
-
1. An atherectomy catheter comprising:
-
a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a cylindrical cutting head rotatably mounted at the distal end of the catheter body, said cylindrical head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior and an axially elongated aperture in said wall, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture, said aperture being helically disposed about a central axis of the cylindrical cutting head and subtending less than a complete turn thereabout; means within the catheter body for rotating the cylindrical head; and means disposed adjacent the elongated aperture of the cylindrical head for severing atheromatous material and diverting severed material into the interior of said head as the head is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. An atherectomy catheter comprising:
-
a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a housing attached to the distal end of the catheter body, said housing having a single axially-aligned elongated opening; a cylindrical cutting head rotatably mounted in the housing, said head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior and an axially elongated aperture in said wall, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture; means within the catheter body for rotating the cylindrical head; means disposed adjacent the elongated aperture of the cylindrical head for severing atheromatous material and diverting severed material into the interior of said head as the head is rotated; and means on the housing of urging the housing in the direction of the opening when the catheter is in a blood vessel. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for removing atheromatous material from a vascular lumen comprising:
-
introducing the distal end of a catheter into the vascular lumen adjacent the atheromatous material; rotating a cylindrical cutting head mounted at the distal end of the catheter, said head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior, an axially elongated aperture in said wall, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture, and means for severing adjacent the aperture, whereby atheromatous material is severed and diverted into the interior of the head; displacing the cylindrical cutting head laterally as it is being rotated, whereby atheromatous material on the side of the catheter may be removed; and withdrawing the distal end of the catheter from the vascular lumen while the severed material remains captured within the walls of the cylindrical cutting head. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. An atherectomy catheter comprising:
-
a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a housing attached to the distal end of the catheter body, said housing having a distal opening and a single axially-aligned elongated opening; a cylindrical cutting head rotatably mounted in the housing, said head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior and an axially elongated aperture in said wall, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture, said head having a tapered distal end which extends through the distal opening of the housing with the aperture extending to near the tapered distal end of the head; means within the catheter body for rotating the cylindrical head; and means disposed adjacent the elongated aperture of the cylindrical head for severing atheromatous material and diverting severed material into the interior of said head as the head is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. An atherectomy catheter comprising:
-
a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a housing attached to the distal end of the catheter body, said housing having a single axially-aligned elongated opening; a cylindrical cutting head rotatably mounted in the housing, said head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior and an axially elongated helical aperture in said wall, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture, said aperture subtending less than a complete turn about the cylindrical cutting head; means within the catheter body for rotating the cylindrical head; means disposed adjacent the elongated aperture of the cylindrical head for severing atheromatous material and diverting severed material into the interior of said head as the head is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A method for removing atheromatous material from a vascular lumen comprising:
-
introducing the distal end of a catheter into the vascular lumen adjacent the atheromatous material; rotating a cylindrical cutting head mounted at the distal end of the catheter, said head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior, an axially elongated aperture which is helically disposed in said wall and subtends less than one complete turn about the cylindrical head, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture, and means for severing adjacent the aperture, whereby atheromatous material is severed, diverted into the interior of the head and captured therein by said walls; and withdrawing the distal end of the catheter from the vascular lumen while the severed material remains within the cylindrical cutting head. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 54, 55)
-
-
49. A method for removing atheromatous material from a vascular lumen comprising:
-
introducing into the vascular lumen the distal end of a catheter comprising a housing having a single axially-aligned elongate opening at said distal end, a cylindrical cutting head mounted within the housing, said head having a cylindrical wall surrounding an open interior, an axially elongated aperture in said wall, said wall having a surface area excluding said aperture which is substantially greater than the area defined by said aperture, and means for severing adjacent the aperture, wherein the cylindrical cutting head is rotationally positioned within the housing so that the severing means is not exposed through the housing opening while the distal end is being introduced; rotating the cylindrical cutting head after the housing has been positioned adjacent a region of atheroma, whereby atheromatous material is severed, diverted into the interior of the head and captured therein by said walls; and withdrawing the distal end of the catheter from the vascular lumen while the severed material remains within the cylindrical cutting head. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53)
-
Specification