Debulking catheters and methods
First Claim
1. A method of excising and testing material from a body lumen, the method comprising:
- providing a catheter having a rotating cutter, a tissue collection chamber, and a cutting window, the rotating cutter being movable between a stored position and an exposed position, at least part of the rotating cutter becoming exposed through the cutting window when moving to the exposed position;
exposing the cutter by moving the cutter to the exposed position;
advancing the catheter to move the rotating cutter through material in a first site in the body lumen, the rotating cutter remaining in the exposed position so that the cutter and the window maintain their orientation with respect to one another when advancing the catheter through the material, the material cut by the rotating cutter comprising a contiguous strand longer than the cutting window and retaining a structure of the tissue prior to removal and being directed through the cutting window and into the tissue collection chamber as the catheter is advanced through the material;
removing the material from the collection chamber; and
performing one or more tests on at least a portion of the material removed from the collection chamber.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A debulking catheter comprising a tissue debulking assembly for removing a contiguous strand of material from a body lumen. Catheters of the present invention generally include a catheter body having proximal and distal portions and a tissue debulking assembly disposed at least partially within the distal portion. The tissue debulking assembly is radially movable to expose at least a portion of the assembly through a window on the catheter body. The catheter is advanced transluminally through the body lumen to contact material in the body lumen and remove a plane of contiguous material that has a length that is typically longer than a length of the window on the catheter. The contiguous material may be directed into a collection chamber. Thereafter, the material may be removed from the collection chamber and preserved or tested.
244 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of excising and testing material from a body lumen, the method comprising:
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providing a catheter having a rotating cutter, a tissue collection chamber, and a cutting window, the rotating cutter being movable between a stored position and an exposed position, at least part of the rotating cutter becoming exposed through the cutting window when moving to the exposed position; exposing the cutter by moving the cutter to the exposed position; advancing the catheter to move the rotating cutter through material in a first site in the body lumen, the rotating cutter remaining in the exposed position so that the cutter and the window maintain their orientation with respect to one another when advancing the catheter through the material, the material cut by the rotating cutter comprising a contiguous strand longer than the cutting window and retaining a structure of the tissue prior to removal and being directed through the cutting window and into the tissue collection chamber as the catheter is advanced through the material; removing the material from the collection chamber; and performing one or more tests on at least a portion of the material removed from the collection chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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16. A method for excising and testing material from a vascular location, comprising the steps of:
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providing a catheter having a body, an opening leading to a tissue collection chamber, and a rotatable cutter, the cutter being movable between a stored position and an exposed position, the cutter becoming at least partially exposed when moving from the stored position to the exposed position; introducing the catheter into a patient'"'"'s vascular system with the cutter in the stored position, the catheter being introduced to the vascular location where material is to be excised; exposing the cutter by moving the cutter to the exposed position; rotating the cutter; advancing the catheter after the exposing step and the rotating step, wherein the rotating cutter and the opening advance together so that material cut by the rotating cutter comprises a contiguous strand longer than the cutting window that retains a structure of the tissue prior to removal and is directed through the opening and into the tissue collection chamber as the catheter is advanced; removing the catheter from the vascular location; harvesting the material from the collection chamber after the catheter has been removed from the vascular location and the vascular system of the patient; and performing one or more tests on at least a portion of the material removed from the collection chamber. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification