Atherectomy catheter with aligned imager

• US 9,615,850 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Snow, David W., Flom, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Amh
• Application Number:
  US14/088,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 606159, 606170, 606171, 606174, 606169, 606180, 606184, 604 22, 600467, 600439, 600459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32075 Pullback cutting; combined forward and pullback cutting, e.g. with cutters at both sides of the plaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320783 through side-hole, e.g. sliding or rotating cutter inside catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00353 one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320791 with cutter extending outside the cutting window
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/373 using light, e.g. by using optical scanners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3784 both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter

Abstract

An atherectomy catheter is provided for excising and imaging material in a body lumen. In one embodiment, the catheter comprises a catheter body, a cutting blade, and an imaging device. The cutting blade is mounted on the catheter body and configured to move between a first position and a second position relative to an aperture or cutting window. When the cutting blade is in the second position, the blade substantially closes the aperture on the catheter body. The imaging device which is mounted on or otherwise coupled to the cutting blade is configured to be in an imaging position when the cutting blade substantially closes the aperture or cutter window. This allows the imaging device to survey material within the cutting zone of the atherectomy catheter. By allowing the imaging device to view materials within this cutting zone, material may be imaged and then removed from the body lumen without having to reposition the catheter between each step.

Claims

1. A catheter for removing material from a body lumen comprising:

a catheter body including a distal portion having a longitudinal axis, an outer circumference, and a side opening window;

a tissue engaging member coupled to the catheter body, wherein the tissue engaging member is extendable outside the catheter body through the side opening window such that a portion of the tissue engaging member projects radially outward relative to the longitudinal axis of the distal portion of the catheter body beyond the outer circumference of the distal portion of the catheter body to engage tissue outside the side opening window, wherein the tissue engaging member is positionable between an extended position, in which the tissue engaging member extends outside the catheter body, and a stowed position, in which an entirety of the tissue engaging member is in the distal portion of the catheter body; and

an imaging device coupled to the tissue engaging member for imaging the body lumen, wherein the imaging device is alignable with the side opening window in a radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the distal portion of the catheter body when the tissue engaging member is in the stowed position so that the imaging device is capable of imaging tissue through the side opening window,

wherein the tissue engaging member is movable along and within the distal portion of the catheter body,

wherein the imaging device is coupled to the tissue engaging member such that movement of the tissue engaging member along and within the distal portion of the catheter body imparts movement of the imaging device along and within the distal portion of the catheter body.

2. The catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the tissue engaging member extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the distal portion of the catheter body when the tissue engaging member is in the extended position.

3. The catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the imaging device is rotatable relative to the catheter body.

4. The catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises an ultrasonic transducer.

5. The catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the catheter body is sized and shaped for introduction into a blood vessel.

6. The catheter set forth in claim 5, wherein the tissue engaging member is configured to engage atheromatous deposits in the blood vessel.