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Vessel cleaner and barrier

  • US 6,818,002 B2
  • Filed: 09/23/2002
  • Issued: 11/16/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process of removing an obstruction from a vessel comprising the following steps:

  • inserting into the vessel a distal end of a catheter having an expandable distal barrier;

    inserting into the vessel a rotary flexible agitator system comprising a tubular housing having a flexible tube with an open distal end and a proximal end section with a suction port, a motor-driven rotary flexible agitator-shaft disposed in the tubular housing, the agitator-shaft having an offset distal-agitator attached to its distal end;

    temporarily occluding the vessel by expanding the distal barrier;

    rotating the offset distal-agitator that extends out of the open distal end, and has an effective diameter substantially larger than its cross section, to break the obstruction in the vessel to pieces, the relative motion between the rotary flexible-agitator and the flexible tube reducing the longitudinal friction that may resist the movement of the pieces through the flexible tube.

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