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Detachable tip optical valvulotome

  • US 5,284,478 A
  • Filed: 06/08/1992
  • Issued: 02/08/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A valvulotome for cutting venous valves in a blood vessel, comprising:

  • a catheter sufficiently flexible to follow the contour of the blood vessel when passed through it and sufficiently axially rigid to permit the catheter to be pushed through the vessel, the catheter having a distal end;

    an anchor fixedly attached to the catheter near the distal end thereof, the anchor having an open distal end and an opening formed in the anchor;

    a cutting head comprising a pair of cutting blades having sharp cutting edges and being shaped to engage and cut through the venous valve cusps when the cutting blades are aligned therewith, the blades being disposed relative to the open distal end of the anchor to provide a light passageway from the open distal end to the interior sides of the blades and adjacent regions within the vein, the cutting head having a proximal segment detachably connected to the anchor near the open distal end thereof, wherein the cutting head defines a longitudinal axis and has two slots opposed to each other on the cutting head and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cutting head to establish first and second portions of the proximal segment of the cutting head, the proximal segment of the cutting head being hollow and having an inside surface with a detent formed thereon for engaging the opening of the anchor, wherein the cutting head is biased to an operating configuration, wherein the first and second portions of the cutting head closely engage the anchor and the detent is engaged with the opening, and a replacement configuration established by urging the cutting blades toward each other, wherein the first and second portions are spaced from each other relative to the operating configuration and the detent is distanced from the opening to permit disengaging the cutting head from the anchor; and

    a viewing scope mounted within the catheter in light communication with the light passageway for generating an image of the interior sides of the blades and the adjacent regions within the vein to facilitate rotation of the cutting blades to align the blades with the valve cusps.

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