Unitary removal of plaque
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of excising plaque from an artery comprising the steps of:
- inserting an instrument into the artery, the artery having an axis;
placing the instrument adjacent to plaque in the artery;
grasping the plaque with the instrument without materially cutting the plaque by the instrument;
maintaining grasp while displacing the instrument along the axis of the artery thereby generally axially dislodging a length of plaque from the artery;
removing the dislodged length of plaque from the artery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Novel apparatus and related methods are disclosed by which plaque is connected to the head of a removal instrument for removal of a unitary segment of plaque from an artery intact to increase blood flow through the artery.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of excising plaque from an artery comprising the steps of:
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inserting an instrument into the artery, the artery having an axis; placing the instrument adjacent to plaque in the artery; grasping the plaque with the instrument without materially cutting the plaque by the instrument; maintaining grasp while displacing the instrument along the axis of the artery thereby generally axially dislodging a length of plaque from the artery; removing the dislodged length of plaque from the artery.
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2. A method of removing arterial plaque comprising the steps of:
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grabbing hold of plaque within an artery with a removal instrument; applying force to the plaque generally along the length of the artery to sever without longitudinally cutting a segment of plaque from a portion of a wall of the artery; withdrawing the plaque segment from the artery.
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3. A method of increasing blood flow in an artery comprising the steps of:
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introducing a gripping instrument into an artery through a man-made opening therein; displacing the gripping instrument along the artery to a site where the artery is obstructed at least in part by plaque; gripping plaque at the site with the gripping instrument; tearing plaque from the artery without cutting the plaque along the axis of the artery by displacing the instrument while the instrument is gripping the plaque; removing the instrument and the gripped plaque through the man-made opening.
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4. A method of increasing blood flow in an artery comprising the steps of:
tethering arterial plaque to an indwelling instrument at a site within the artery with immaterial axial cutting of tethered plaque, pulling the instrument and plaque along the length of the artery thereby forcibly tearing a segment of plaque, in the direction of the length of the artery, from a portion of the artery and removing the torn plaque segment from the artery.
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5. A method of treating plaque in an artery having an elongated length to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque without cutting plaque from the artery along its length; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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preliminarily loosening the arterial plaque by subjecting the plaque to be removed to dottering; inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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26. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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preliminarily displacing the plaque by subjecting the plaque to be removed to balloon angioplasty; inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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27. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery by placing the head within the artery between the plaque and a wall of the artery so that insertion of the head separates in part the plaque and the artery at the interface between the two; removably connecting the head to the plaque; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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28. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque by compressively holding the engaged plaque at the head; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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29. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque; pulling on the plaque through the head by stretching the plaque thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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30. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery by progressively peeling the plaque intact from a wall of the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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31. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery by both separating the plaque segment from other plaque within the artery and separating the plaque segment from a wall of the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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32. A method of treating plaque in an artery to increase blood flow comprising the steps of:
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inserting a connecting head into an artery; locating the head adjacent to plaque within the artery; removably connecting the head to the plaque by clamping the head to the plaque; pulling on the plaque through the head thereby severing a segment of plaque intact from the artery; retrieving the head and connected severed segment of plaque from the artery.
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Specification