Apparatus and methods for treating hardened vascular lesions
First Claim
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1. A scoring catheter comprising:
- a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end;
a radially expansible shell near the distal end of the catheter body; and
a non-axial scoring cage structure carried over the shell so that expansion of the shell expands the cages, wherein said cage structure is unattached to and separate from the shell and includes a plurality of metal helical scoring elements which circumscribe the expansible shell and wherein the helical scoring elements are elastic so that they expand radially as the shell expands and collapse radially as the shell collapses, wherein the helical scoring elements remain over the radially expansible shell as the shell expands and collapses.
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Abstract
A plaque scoring catheter comprises a catheter body having a balloon or other radially expansible shell at its distal end. A non-axial scoring structure is carried over the shell and scores a stenosed region in a blood vessel when the balloon is inflated therein. The non-axial scoring structure may be formed directly on the balloon or may alternatively be part of a cage structure which floats over the balloon. Exemplary configurations for the scoring structure include helical, serpentine, and irregular.
250 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A scoring catheter comprising:
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a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a radially expansible shell near the distal end of the catheter body; and a non-axial scoring cage structure carried over the shell so that expansion of the shell expands the cages, wherein said cage structure is unattached to and separate from the shell and includes a plurality of metal helical scoring elements which circumscribe the expansible shell and wherein the helical scoring elements are elastic so that they expand radially as the shell expands and collapse radially as the shell collapses, wherein the helical scoring elements remain over the radially expansible shell as the shell expands and collapses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A scoring catheter comprising:
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a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a radially expansible shell disposed near the distal end of the catheter body; and an elastic scoring cage structure comprising a plurality of metal scoring elements and circumscribing the radially expansible shell, wherein the cage structure has a free end which is not attached to the shell and a fixed end which is attached to the catheter body so that the free end of the cage structure slides axially as the shell expands radially, wherein the cage structure remains over the radially expansible shell as the shell expands and collapses with the radially expansible shell as the shell is expanded and collapsed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38)
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37. A catheter as in clam 36, wherein the scoring element is oriented radially outwardly as the shell is expanded.
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39. An expansible scoring cage adapted to be carried over a balloon of a balloon catheter, said cage comprising:
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an assembly of one or more elongate helical elastic scoring elements, wherein said assembly is normally in a radially collapsed configuration and expansible over a balloon to a radially expanded configuration, wherein the assembly returns to its radially collapsed configuration when the balloon is deflated; wherein the scoring elements are metal and adapted to score hardened stenotic material when expanded by the balloon in a blood vessel lumen wherein said one or more elongate helical scoring elements are disposed between a pair of collars, wherein said collars are adapted to be mounted over the catheter with the balloon therebetween and the collars hold the scoring elements over the balloon as the balloon is inflated and deflated. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for dilatating a stenosed region in a blood vessel, said method comprising:
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expanding an expansible shell to radially expand an elastic scoring structure within a stenosed region within the blood vessel, wherein said scoring structure is unattached to and separate from the shell and includes one or more elastic metal helical scoring segments, wherein the elastic scoring elements are disposed between the shell and the stenosed region and expanding the shell causes the elastic scoring elements to penetrate into stenotic material to impart a helical score pattern in the stenotic material about the inner wall of the blood vessel as the shell is expanded; and radially contracting the shell, wherein the scoring structure remains over the shell as the shell is expanded and contracted. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification