Tissue-removing catheter with rotatable cutter

• US 9,943,329 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Guggenheimer, Ethan A., Schneider, Lucas, McPeak, Thomas, Fruland, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS, RICHARD G
• Application Number:
  US13/671,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20140128893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 606159, 606167, 606170, 606180, 606198, 604 22
• 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 2017/320004 abrasive
• 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

Abstract

A tissue-removing catheter includes a cutting element. A radially innermost portion of the leading radial wall of a raised element of the cutting element may be spaced a radial distance from the longitudinal axis that is less than 66% of the radius of the annular cutting edge. The cutting element may be extendable through the window during operation such that as the cutting element is being rotated about its longitudinal axis, less than an entire radial portion of the leading radial wall passes through the window. A plurality of abrading members may be formed on at least the central portion of the inner surface of the cutting element to abrade hardened tissue as the cutting element is rotating about its longitudinal axis. A radially outermost portion of the leading radial edge of the raised element may be spaced apart radially from an inner surface of the cutting element.

Claims

1. A tissue-removing catheter comprising:

an elongate catheter body having opposite distal and proximal portions and being sized and shaped for introduction into a body lumen of a subject;

a drive shaft extending longitudinally within the catheter body, wherein the drive shaft is rotatable relative to the catheter body about a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft; and

a cutting element at the distal portion of the elongate catheter body, the cutting element having opposite proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the cutting element being operatively connected to the drive shaft for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the cutting element, the cutting element including

an annular cutting edge at the distal end of the cutting element surrounding the longitudinal axis of the cutting element, the annular cutting edge having a radius as taken from the longitudinal axis of the cutting element,

an inner surface extending proximally from the cutting edge and defining an internal cavity,

at least one raised element in the internal cavity extending generally longitudinally outward from the inner surface, the at least one raised element including

a leading radial wall extending generally radially inward toward the longitudinal axis of the cutting element,

a distal wall intersecting the leading radial wall, and

a leading edge defined by the intersection of the distal wall and the leading radial wall, the leading edge having a radially outermost portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the cutting element, a radially innermost portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the cutting element, and a radial length extending between the radially outermost and innermost portions,

wherein the radially outermost portion of the leading edge is discontinuous with and does not intersect the inner surface of the cutting element so that a radial gap is disposed radially between the radially outermost portion of the leading edge and the inner surface of the cutting element.

2. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the radial gap has a radial dimension from greater than 0.0000 in to about 0.0100 in.

3. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the cutting element includes an undercut extending generally radially into the raised element and defining the radial gap.

4. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the leading edge of the at least one raised element is spaced apart longitudinally from the annular cutting edge.

5. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein a circumferential portion of the inner surface of the cutting element extending from the annular cutting edge is chamfered.

6. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one raised element comprises a plurality of raised elements.