Cutting stent with flexible tissue extractor

• US 6,036,708 A
• Filed: 08/13/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Sciver, Jason Van
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, LIEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/134,540
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 606/159, 606/170, 606/180, 606/172, 606/192, 606/193, 606/195, 604/22, 604/29, 604/53, 604/96, 623/1, 623/2, 623/12
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320783 through side-hole, e.g. sliding or rotating cutter inside catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00

Abstract

A catheter in accordance with my invention comprises a temporary self-expanding cutting stent and a retractable sheath for containing the self-expanding cutting stent. The catheter is positioned such that the self-expanding cutting stent is within a stenosis or other blockage within an artery. The retractable sheath is then retracted, and the self-expanding cutting stent expands, cutting through stenotic tissue, scar tissue, or other tissue blocking the artery. A second retractable structure, such as a coil, a ring, a screw or a second self-expanding cutting stent extends through the interior of the temporary self-expanding is cutting stent, and cuts any tissue extending through the struts of the temporary self-expanding cutting stent, and pulling that tissue to a location within the sheath. The sheath is then pushed back over the self-expanding cutting stent, and the catheter is then retracted.

Claims

1. A catheter comprising:

a self-expanding cutting stent;

a retractable sheath for containing said self-expanding cutting stent, whereby when said retractable sheath is retracted relative to said self-expanding cutting stent, said self-expanding cutting stent expands to cut tissue; and

means for pushing against any tissue extending through said self-expanding stent, to thereby cut said tissue.

2. Structure of claim 1 wherein said means for pushing comprises a screw.

3. Structure of claim 1 wherein said means for pushing comprises a second self-expanding stent.

4. Structure of claim 1 wherein said means for pushing comprises a ring.

5. A catheter comprising:

a self-expanding cutting stent;

a retractable sheath for containing said self-expanding cutting stent, whereby when said retractable sheath is retracted relative to said self-expanding cutting stent, said self-expanding cutting stent expands to cut tissue; and

a cutting tool which pushes against any tissue extending through said self-expanding cutting stent, to thereby cut said tissue.

6. A method for removing material from a patient'"'"'s vascular system comprising the steps of:

inserting a catheter into said patient, said catheter comprising an expandable stent at the distal end of said catheter covered by a retractable sheath;

retracting said retractable sheath, thereby exposing said expandable stent and permitting said expandable stent to extend into said material; and

withdrawing a member through the interior of said expandable stent to shear off any of said material extending through said expandable stent.

7. Method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

pushing said retractable sheath over said expandable stent to collapse said expandable stent; and

withdrawing said catheter from said patient.

8. A catheter comprising:

a spring-action stent including a plurality of interconnected struts with open regions between adjacent struts, the struts having cutting edges; and

a retractable sheath having a size and shape suitable for containing the springaction stent, the retractable sheath holding the spring-action stent in a coiled configuration when positioned over the spring-action stent, the retractable sheath being retractable from the spring-action stent to release the spring-action coil into an expanded recoil configuration.

9. A catheter according to claim 8 wherein:

the spring-action stent is a tube with an interior lumen and the catheter further includes;

a solid member having an outer surface conformably matched to the spring-action stent interior lumen inner surface, the solid member being moveable within the spring-action stent to shear tissue that extends through the spring-action stent open regions when the spring-action stent is recoiled.

10. A catheter according to claim 9 wherein:

the solid member is a screw.

11. A catheter according to claim 9 wherein:

the solid member is a coil.

12. A catheter according to claim 9 wherein:

the solid member is a ring.

13. A catheter according to claim 8 wherein:

the spring-action stent tube is machined at an angle so that the struts have sharp cutting edges.

14. A catheter according to claim 8 wherein:

the spring-action stent tube is machined at approximately a 90°

angle so that the struts have right angle edges.

15. A catheter according to claim 8 further comprising:

a plurality of ridges formed on the spring-action stent tube and machined so that the struts have sharp cutting edges.

16. A catheter according to claim 8 further comprising:

a shaft contained within the sheath; and

a handle formed as a connection between the shaft and the sheath.

17. A method of removing material from walls of a patient'"'"'s body lumen comprising:

inserting a catheter into the body lumen, the catheter including a spring-action stent and a retractable sheath, the spring-action stent including a plurality of interconnected struts with open regions between adjacent struts, the struts having cutting edges, the retractable sheath having a size and shape suitable for containing the spring-action stent, the retractable sheath holding the spring-action stent in a coiled configuration when positioned over the spring-action stent;

retracting the retractable sheath from the spring-action stent thereby releasing the spring-action coil into an expanded recoil configuration so that the struts press into the material, forcing material into the open regions; and

moving the material relative to the spring-action coil, shearing material in the open regions.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein moving the material relative to the spring-action coil includes:

moving the catheter relative to the body lumen to shear the material in the open regions.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein moving the material relative to the spring-action coil includes:

moving a solid member having an outer surface conformably matched to the spring-action stent interior lumen inner surface relative to the spring-action stent to shear tissue that extends through the spring-action stent open regions when the spring-action stent is recoiled.

20. A method according to claim 17 further comprising:

advancing the retractable sheath back over the spring-action stent thereby collapsing the spring-action stent into the coiled configuration and containing the sheared material within the catheter; and

removing the catheter and contained sheared material from the body lumen.

21. A catheter comprising:

a spring-action cutting element including a plurality of interconnected struts with open regions between adjacent struts, the struts having cutting edges; and

a retractable sheath having a size and shape suitable for containing the spring-action cutting element, the retractable sheath holding the spring-action cutting element in a coiled configuration when positioned over the spring-action cutting element, the retractable sheath being retractable from the spring-action cutting element to release the spring-action coil into an expanded recoil configuration.

22. A catheter according to claim 21 wherein:

the spring-action cutting element is a tube with an interior lumen and the catheter further includes;

a solid member having an outer surface conformably matched to the spring-action cutting element interior lumen inner surface, the solid member being moveable within the spring-action cutting element to shear tissue that extends through the spring-action cutting element open regions when the spring-action cutting element is recoiled.

23. A method of removing material from walls of a patient'"'"'s body lumen comprising:

inserting a catheter into the body lumen, the catheter including a spring-action cutting element and a retractable sheath, the spring-action cutting element including a plurality of interconnected struts with open regions between adjacent struts, the struts having cutting edges, the retractable sheath having a size and shape suitable for containing the spring-action cutting element, the retractable sheath holding the spring-action cutting element in a coiled configuration when positioned over the spring-action cutting element;

retracting the retractable sheath from the spring-action cutting element thereby releasing the spring-action coil into an expanded recoil configuration so that the struts press into the material, forcing material into the open regions; and

moving the material relative to the spring-action coil, shearing material in the open regions.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein moving the material relative to the spring-action coil includes:

moving the catheter relative to the body lumen to shear the material in the open regions.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein moving the material relative to the spring-action coil includes:

moving a solid member having an outer surface conformably matched to the spring-action cutting element interior lumen inner surface relative to the spring-action cutting element to shear tissue that extends through the spring-action cutting element open regions when the spring-action cutting element is recoiled.

26. A method according to claim 23 further comprising:

advancing the retractable sheath back over the spring-action cutting element thereby collapsing the spring-action cutting element into the coiled configuration and containing the sheared material within the catheter; and

removing the catheter and contained sheared material from the body lumen.