Patent US3240765A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US2111386A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0337918A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Endarterectomy apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-03-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-03-30
Abstract
Abstract Radially expansible, helically configured wire loops (20, 21) are employed to grip and shear arteriosclerotic deposits (6) from the lumen of an artery wall (5). Shearing action is achieved by pulling the loops through the artery by means of a handle (15) which is freely rotatable to avoid the application of torsional forces to the loops. A shear force gauge may be provided to measure and limit the pulling force applied to the loops.
Inventors
- 👤 Michelle Y. Monfort
- 👤 Kenneth M. Mollenauer
- 👤 Albert K. Chin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/22; A61B17/221; A61B2017/2212; A61B17/32; A61B17/3205; A61B17/3207; A61B2017/320741; A61B90/00; A61B90/03
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
An endarterectomy instrument comprising: a flexible catheter having a proximal end and an open distal end; a flexible guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from the open distal end of said catheter; and a plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter, said member variably expansible by longitudinal movement of said guidewire relative to said catheter for engaging an arteriosclerotic deposit for removal from a vessel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
81 words
An endarterectomy instrument comprising: a flexible catheter having a proximal end and an open distal end; a flexible guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from the open distal end of said catheter; and a plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter, said member variably expansible by longitudinal movement of said guidewire relative to said catheter for engaging an arteriosclerotic deposit for removal from a vessel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 1, wherein the plaque shearing member comprises at least one flexible wire loop.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 2 wherein the wire loop is resilient and normally assumes an expanded helical configuration and may be radially contracted by longitudinal movement of the guidewire relative to the catheter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 1 further comprising a pulling member secured to the proximal end of the catheter for free rotation about the longitudinal axis of the catheter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
107 words
An endarterectomy instrument comprising: a flexible catheter having a proximal and a distal end and a first handle secured to its proximal end; a flexible guidewire having a proximal and a distal end, said guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from said catheter and having affixed to its proximal end a second handle; and a collapsible plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to the distal end of said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter, said member variably expansible by longitudinal movement of said guidewire relative to said catheter for engaging an arteriosclerotic deposit for removal from a vessel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
107 words
An endarterectomy instrument comprising: a flexible catheter having a proximal and a distal end and a first handle secured to its proximal end; a flexible guidewire having a proximal and a distal end, said guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from said catheter and having affixed to its proximal end a second handle; and a collapsible plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to the distal end of said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter, said member variably expansible by longitudinal movement of said guidewire relative to said catheter for engaging an arteriosclerotic deposit for removal from a vessel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 5, wherein the plaque shearing member comprises at least one flexible wire loop.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 6 wherein the wire loop is resilient and normally assumes an expanded helical configuration and may be radically contracted by longitudinal movement of the guidewire relative to the catheter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 5 further comprising a pulling member secured to the proximal end of the catheter for free rotation about the longitudinal axis of the catheter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 6, wherein the first handle is equipped with a shear force gauge to limit the pulling force applied to the plaque shearing member therethrough.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
The endarterectomy instrument of Claim 9 wherein the shear force gauge comprises: a gauge block affixed to the proximal end of the catheter, said block having gradation indicia on the external surface thereof; a pulling member slidably and rotatably received on the catheter adjacent the distal end thereof, said member having a portion thereof alignable with the indicia on the block; and a compression coil spring received on the catheter intermediate the gauge block and pulling member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
85 words
An endarterectomy device comprising: a flexible catheter having a proximal and a distal end; a flexible guidewire having a proximal and a distal end, said guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from said catheter; a plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to the distal end of said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter; and means permitting axial rotation of said plaque shearing member to reduce torque on the vessel as the member moves through the vessel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
85 words
An endarterectomy device comprising: a flexible catheter having a proximal and a distal end; a flexible guidewire having a proximal and a distal end, said guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from said catheter; a plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to the distal end of said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter; and means permitting axial rotation of said plaque shearing member to reduce torque on the vessel as the member moves through the vessel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The endarterectomy device of Claim 11, wherein the means permitting axial rotation comprises a freely rotatable handle secured to the proximal end of said catheter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The endarterectomy device of Claim 12 further comprising a means for limiting the shearing force applied to the shearing member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
113 words
An endarterectomy device comprising: a catheter having a proximal and a distal end; a flexible guidewire having a proximal and a distal end, said guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from said catheter; a collapsible plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to the distal end of said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter, said plaque shearing member alternatively expanding and contracting by longitudinal movement of said guidewire relative to said catheter, thus engaging an arteriosclerotic deposit for removal from a vessel; and means permitting axial rotation of said plaque shearing member to reduce torque on the vessel as the member moves through the vessel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
113 words
An endarterectomy device comprising: a catheter having a proximal and a distal end; a flexible guidewire having a proximal and a distal end, said guidewire slidably extending through and protruding from said catheter; a collapsible plaque shearing member having a first end affixed to the distal end of said guidewire and a second end affixed to the distal end of said catheter, said plaque shearing member alternatively expanding and contracting by longitudinal movement of said guidewire relative to said catheter, thus engaging an arteriosclerotic deposit for removal from a vessel; and means permitting axial rotation of said plaque shearing member to reduce torque on the vessel as the member moves through the vessel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The endarterectomy device of Claim 14, wherein the plaque shearing member comprises at least one flexible wire loop.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The endarterectomy device of Claim 15, wherein the means permitting axial rotation comprises a freely rotatable handle secured to the proximal end of the catheter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
The endarterectomy device of Claim 16, wherein the means permitting axial rotation further comprises a shear force gauge to limit the pulling force applied to the shearing member so as to reduce trauma to the vessel during removal of the deposit.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for removing an arteriosclerotic deposit from an artery using an endarterectomy device having a proximal end and a distal end with a collapsible plaque shearing member affixed to the distal end and comprising the steps of: making an incision in an artery adjacent to the deposit; introducing the shearing member of said device through said incision with the shearing member collapsed; feeding the shearing member longitudinally of said artery to emplace the distal end of said device within said artery and the shearing member within the deposit, while at the same time the proximal end of said device extends out of said incision; expanding the shearing member to engage the deposit; and removing said device by pulling through said incision, thereby traversing and shearing away at least a portion of the deposit with the shearing member and removing said portion.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for removing an arteriosclerotic deposit from an artery using an endarterectomy device having a proximal end and a distal end with a collapsible plaque shearing member affixed to the distal end and comprising the steps of: making an incision in an artery adjacent to the deposit; introducing the shearing member of said device through said incision with the shearing member collapsed; feeding the shearing member longitudinally of said artery to emplace the distal end of said device within said artery and the shearing member within the deposit, while at the same time the proximal end of said device extends out of said incision; expanding the shearing member to engage the deposit; and removing said device by pulling through said incision, thereby traversing and shearing away at least a portion of the deposit with the shearing member and removing said portion.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of Claim 18 wherein the shearing member comprises at least one helically configured wire loop.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for removing an arteriosclerotic deposit from an artery using an endarterectomy device having a proximal end and a distal end with a collapsible plaque shearing member affixed to the distal end, said method comprising: making a proximal and a distal incision in an artery adjacent to the deposit; introducing the proximal end of said device through the distal incision; feeding the proximal end longitudinally through said artery toward and out of the proximal incision; introducing the shearing member of said device through the distal incision, with the shearing member collapsed, by pulling said device longitudinally through said artery from the proximal incision, thereby emplacing the shearing member within said artery and the deposit therein; expanding the shearing member to engage the deposit; and removing said device by further pulling through the proximal incision, thereby traversing and shearing away at least a portion of the deposit with the shearing member.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for removing an arteriosclerotic deposit from an artery using an endarterectomy device having a proximal end and a distal end with a collapsible plaque shearing member affixed to the distal end, said method comprising: making a proximal and a distal incision in an artery adjacent to the deposit; introducing the proximal end of said device through the distal incision; feeding the proximal end longitudinally through said artery toward and out of the proximal incision; introducing the shearing member of said device through the distal incision, with the shearing member collapsed, by pulling said device longitudinally through said artery from the proximal incision, thereby emplacing the shearing member within said artery and the deposit therein; expanding the shearing member to engage the deposit; and removing said device by further pulling through the proximal incision, thereby traversing and shearing away at least a portion of the deposit with the shearing member.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of Claim 20 wherein the shearing member comprises at least one helically configured wire loop.
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