Methods and devices for removing material from a body lumen

• US 7,771,444 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Foxhollow Technologies Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Patel, Himanshu, Simpson, John B., Doud, Darren G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Erezo; Darwin P
• Application Number:
  US10/027,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,156 Days
• Field of Search: 606/159, 606/170, 606/167, 606/171, 606/180, 600/564
• US Class Current: 606/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2202 the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320725 with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements A61B17/32075 takes precedence
• 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 17/320783 through side-hole, e.g. sliding or rotating cutter inside catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00685 Archimedes screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320032 Details of the rotating or oscillating shaft, e.g. using a flexible shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320775 Morcellators, impeller or propeller like means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320791 with cutter extending outside the cutting window
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00

Abstract

A debulking catheter comprising a debulking assembly for debulking a body lumen. The catheters of the present invention can include a flexible proximal portion coupled to a rigid distal portion. A tissue debulking assembly can be disposed within the rigid portion to debulk the body lumen. In exemplary embodiments, the rigid portion is rotatably coupled to the flexible portion such that rotation or deflection of the rigid portion, relative to the flexible portion, can expose the tissue debulking assembly through a window in the catheter to debulk the body lumen.

Claims

1. A method of removing material from a body lumen, the method comprising:

delivering a catheter comprising a tissue debulking device to a target site in the body lumen;

deflecting a distal portion of the catheter relative to a proximal portion of the catheter to expose the tissue debulking device through a cutting window, the deflecting step being carried out by sliding the tissue debulking device against a cam surface to expose the tissue debulking device through the cutting window; and

debulking the body lumen by rotating the tissue debulking device about a first axis with the tissue debulking device being exposed through the cutting window in the catheter, the debulking step being carried out by advancing the catheter in the body lumen to move the rotating tissue debulking device and cutting window through material in the body lumen during the debulking step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first axis is a longitudinal axis of the catheter.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising packing severed material into a collection chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein deflecting comprises urging the tissue debulking device against the material in the body lumen.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering comprises attaching a guidewire to a monorail delivery assembly on the catheter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the target site is a stent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein deflecting is carried out by moving the tissue debulking device from a first position to a second position.