Endovascular surgery systems
First Claim
1. Apparatus for endovascular surgery, including atherectomy, comprising:
- (a) an expandable and ellipsoidal hollow cutter body having a plurality of flexible segments with smooth segment edges arranged to form said body in a first ellipsoidal shape along a major ellipsoidal axis extending longitudinally between a distal end and a proximal end of said body, said ellipsoidal body having a minor ellipsoidal axis bisecting said cutter body between said distal and said proximal ends;
(b) cutting elements disposed on at least a portion of an outwardly facing surface of each one of said plurality of flexible segments;
(c) smoothing mounds distributed on said outwardly facing surface of each of said segments;
(d) means for compressing said flexible segments along said major ellipsoidal axis between aid distal and proximal ends to expand said cutter body in another ellipsoidal shape and present said cutting elements and said mounds to lesion material to be excised from within a vascular channel; and
(e) means for moving said cutter body to affect cutting action on said lesion material by said cutting elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In order to remove a lesion constricting a vascular channel, such as arteries (1), a cutter (10) of oblong, and preferably ellipsoidal shape is provided by a plurality of flexible segments (15). The segments have cutting elements (20) in the form of cusps and mounds (25) distributed over their outwardly facing surfaces. The cutter is shortened axially between its distal (D) and proximal ends to radially expand it and present the cutting elements and mounds to the lesion. The mounds help to smoothen the inside of the vascular channel following cutting of the lesion material by the cutting elements. Reaming (reciprocal movement of the cutter) along the axis (11) of the channel or rotation of the cutter may be effected from a control unit (100) via a drive shaft 40 which encases a coaxial fluid/suction supply via pipes (60, 70) to the vicinity of the cutter. A guidewire (30), which may be in a sleeve (90) is also used for axial retraction of the segments to expand the cutter. The drive shaft, guide wire and supply are in a catheter (3).
424 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Apparatus for endovascular surgery, including atherectomy, comprising:
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(a) an expandable and ellipsoidal hollow cutter body having a plurality of flexible segments with smooth segment edges arranged to form said body in a first ellipsoidal shape along a major ellipsoidal axis extending longitudinally between a distal end and a proximal end of said body, said ellipsoidal body having a minor ellipsoidal axis bisecting said cutter body between said distal and said proximal ends; (b) cutting elements disposed on at least a portion of an outwardly facing surface of each one of said plurality of flexible segments; (c) smoothing mounds distributed on said outwardly facing surface of each of said segments; (d) means for compressing said flexible segments along said major ellipsoidal axis between aid distal and proximal ends to expand said cutter body in another ellipsoidal shape and present said cutting elements and said mounds to lesion material to be excised from within a vascular channel; and (e) means for moving said cutter body to affect cutting action on said lesion material by said cutting elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of endovascular surgery, including atherectomy, comprising the steps of:
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(a) inserting a segmented expandable hollow cutter body of a first ellipsoidal shape into a vascular channel having lesion material; (b) expanding the cutter body by compression int he direction of a major axis of the ellipsoidal shape of the segments having smooth segment edges from said first ellipsoidal shape to another ellipsoidal shape to present a cutting surface of the cutter body t the lesion; and (c) moving the cutter body of the other ellipsoidal shape with respect to the channel to separate the lesion material form the channel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification