Surgery – Instruments – Blood vessel – duct or teat cutter – scrapper or abrader
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-05-22
Truong, Kevin (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Blood vessel, duct or teat cutter, scrapper or abrader
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235042
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for removing occlusive material from the interior of a vessel or stent to restore bloodflow therethrough.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of atherectomy devices have been developed to remove occlusive material, such as plaque and cellular overgrowths, from the interior of a vessel to restore blood flow through the vessel. While many of these previously known devices have been widely accepted for use in interventional procedures, such devices continue to have drawbacks that limit the applicability of the devices in certain circumstances.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,951 to Simpson describes a device wherein a distal region carries a housing having an elongated slot. A cutting member disposed within the housing reciprocates past the slot to sever material protruding into the housing. A drawback of the Simpson device is that it is useful only in arteries large enough to accommodate the housing. In addition, that device cannot be used to remove occlusive material from the walls of tortuous vessels, because the device is incapable of conforming adequately to a curved vessel wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,464 to Belknap describes an atherectomy device formed from a tapered helical coil covered with a polymeric sheath. A plurality of elongated slots are formed in the helical coil so that the severed ends of adjacent turns of the coil form a flexible cutting edge. While the Belknap device offers the advantages of conforming to tortuous anatomy, and being able to access smaller vessels, it has been determined that the device is prone to failure during use. Specifically, the sheath material in the vicinity of the windows is incapable of sustaining the high torque loads imposed during operation of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,847 to Clark describes a rotating cutter device including a slotted cylindrical member disposed at the end of a helical coil. The length of the slotted cylindrical member may make it difficult for the device to pass through or remove occlusive material in tortuous anatomy, or to insert the cutting device into smaller arteries.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide an atherectomy device that permits occlusive material to be removed from tortuous and small diameter vessels, and which overcomes the disadvantages of previously known devices.
It further would be desirable to provide an atherectomy device capable of being configured to excise occlusive material from tapered arteries.
It still further would be desirable to provide an atherectomy device that enables occlusive material to be removed from vessels having a tortuous anatomy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide an atherectomy device that permits occlusive material to be removed from tortuous and small diameter vessels, and which overcomes the disadvantages of previously known devices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an atherectomy device capable of being configured to excise occlusive material from tapered arteries.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an atherectomy device that enables occlusive material to be removed from vessels having a tortuous anatomy.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing an atherectomy device comprising a catheter having a cutting region including plurality of slotted tubular members interconnected by flexible segments. Each slotted tubular member includes cutting edges that sever occlusive material from the interior of a vessel when the cutting region is rotated. The flexible segments may be formed by cutting windows in a tapered hollow tubular member, or may comprise bellows-shaped tubes or helical coils. Alternatively, flexible segments may be formed by linking together a plurality of individual tubular segments using a hinge-like structure that may be freely angularly displaced. The flexible segments may be coated with a flexible polymeric material to allow suction to be drawn through the device, or to permit the delivery of contrast agents, dyes, fluids or drugs to the operative site. A guide catheter may be used for positioning the cutting region of the atherectomy device at the operative site.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4020847 (1977-05-01), Clark, III
patent: 4979951 (1990-12-01), Simpson
patent: 5282484 (1994-02-01), Reger
patent: 5366464 (1994-11-01), Belknap
patent: 5584843 (1996-12-01), Wulfman et al.
patent: 5695506 (1997-12-01), Pike et al.
patent: 5779721 (1998-07-01), Nash
patent: 6019772 (2000-02-01), Shefaram et al.
Arteria Medical Science, Inc.
Fish & Neave
Pisano Nicola A.
Truong Kevin
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