Ablation device for reducing damage to vessels and/or in-vivo stents

• US 6,183,487 B1
• Filed: 10/23/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hefner, Matt, Peskin, Natalya, Wulfman, Edward, Barry, Robert Lawrence, Pearce, Joseph, Hiblar, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T.
• Application Number:
  US09/178,450
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 606/159, 606/192, 604/22
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320004 abrasive

Abstract

An ablation burr has a body provided with an inner circumferential rim and an outer circumferential rim that are concentric and spaced longitudinally by a selected distance along the length of the burr. The outer circumferential rim has a generally smooth convex outer surface that reduces damage to a vessel wall or stent. A leading surface of the burr extends between the inner and outer circumferential rims in a substantially uniform, concave manner. An abrasive, for example, diamond grit, is provided on the leading surface. The burr is selectively rotated by a drive shaft, causing the abrasive leading surface of the burr to ablate unwanted deposits. If desired, a wire extends co-axially through the body such that a distal end of the wire extends out of the distal end of the burr. An abrasive tip may be coupled to the distal end of the wire, and is selectively rotated, to ablate unwanted deposits. The burr may be made of a compressible elastomeric material, to facilitate positioning the burr through restrictive openings, such as the coronary ostia. To prevent the burr from becoming welded to a spring tip at the end of the guide wire, a bearing may be provided at a distal region of the guide wire. The bearing has a dynamic member that acts as a bumper and rotates when the ablation device is advanced to the distal region of the guide wire and contacts the dynamic member. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the leading surface of the burr includes one or more aspiration ports through which debris that is ablated from the occlusion may be removed from a patient'"'"'s vessel.

Claims

1. An atherectomy device comprising:

a solid burr body having;

a distal end and proximal end and a concave leading surface with a radius about a longitudinal axis of the burr body that increases from the distal end of the burr to a point that is proximal to the distal end;

an abrasive on the concave leading surface; and

one or more aspiration ports disposed on the concave leading surface of the burr;

a substantially sealed drive shaft coupled to the burr, the scaled drive shaft including a lumen that is in fluid communication with the one or more aspiration ports on the leading surface of the burr, and

a source of vacuum coupled to the sealed drive shaft to withdraw particles ablated from a patient'"'"'s vessel as the burr is rotated.

2. The atherectomy device of claim 1, further comprising:

a coupler into which the sealed drive shaft is fitted,

a second drive shaft received in the coupler,

a sleeve fitted over the second drive shaft and coupler,

the coupler including a window through which particles drawn through one or more aspiration ports are passed.

3. The atherectomy device of claim 1, wherein the radius of the concave leading surface lies entirely below an imaginary line that extends between the distal end and the point proximal to the distal end.