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Atherectomy-device-having-helical-blade-and-blade-guide

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Atherectomy device having helical blade and blade guide

Details

Inventors: Evans, Michael; Mueller, Richard L.;
Assignee: Devices for Vascular Intervention, Inc. (Redwood City, CA)
Primary Examiner: Pellegrino; Stephen C.
Assistant Examiner: Lewis; William W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Townsend and Townsend Khourie and Crew

An atherectomy catheter includes a catheter body having a cylindrical housing at its distal end. The cylindrical housing includes an elongate cutting aperture on one side thereof and a mechanism for severing atheroma which enters within the opening. In a first embodiment, the cutting mechanism comprises a circular cutting blade which is advanced over an elongate guide member which defines a path for the blade. Use of the guide means helps assure that the cutting blade will not be lost from the housing during use. In a second embodiment, a rotatable helical cutting blade is mounted within the housing. In that particular embodiment, the helical cutting blade can serve as the guide member for the circular cutting blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to the present invention, atherectomy catheters comprise a catheter body having a lumen extending between proximal and distal ends thereof.
A cylindrical housing is secured to the distal end of the catheter body, and the housing includes a cutting aperture or window formed on one side thereof.
A cutting mechanism is provided within the housing for severing atheroma which extends inward through the aperture when the catheter is positioned within a blood vessel and urged against region of stenosis.
The cutting mechanism is particularly adapted to provide for effective cutting of the atheroma while minimizing the risk that the cutting mechanism might escape from the housing.
In particular, the cutting mechanism is capable of conforming to the bending of a flexible housing, even when such bending results in deformation of the cutting aperture.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, the cutting mechanism comprises a circular cutting blade disposed within the housing and attached to a mechanism for advancing (and usually rotating) the blade past the cutting aperture.
The cutting mechanism further comprises an elongate guide frame which is disposed axially within the housing adjacent the cutting aperture.
The guide frame defines the desired cutting path of the circular cutting blade and comprises an open framework which allows the penetration of atheroma into its interior.
In this way, the severed atheroma is collected within the guide frame.
In a preferred embodiment, the guide frame is a helical coil, and a mechanism may be provided for rotating the coil to translate the severed atheroma therein to one end of the cylindrical housing.
Alternatively, a tamping mechanism may be provided for urging the severed atheroma to one end of the housing.
In some cases, it will also be desirable to provide sharpened edges on the helical coil so that rotation of coil will enhance severing of the atheroma.
In a second embodiment, a helical cutting blade is disposed within the cylindrical housing

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