Pullback atherectomy catheter system

Claim 2

An atherectomy apparatus comprising: a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an obstructed arterial lumen, said member including, a cylindrical cutting blade means having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting obstructive material as said member is pulled back through said lumen; and, a means for securing the cut material within a collection chamber that is integrally formed within said cutting blade means, whereby removed material is retained without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade means, and wherein said means for securing cut material within said collection chamber comprises a shoulder portion positioned in cooperation with said cutting blade means to form therebetween a restricted entrance mouth to said collection chamber, so as to retain cut material in said collection chamber.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shoulder portion is a cylindrical form, and wherein the outer diameter of a distal region of said cylindrical form is slightly smaller than the diameter of said cutting blade means, so as to form said restricted entrance mouth therebetween.

Claim 4

An atherectomy apparatus, comprising: a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an obstructed arterial lumen, said member including, a cylindrical cutting blade means having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting obstructive material as said member is pulled back through said lumen; and, a means for securing the cut material within a collection chamber that is integrally formed within said cutting blade means, whereby removed material is retained without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade means, and wherein said member includes an interior passageway that is adapted to fit around a guide wire so that said member can be advanced along said guide wire.

Claim 5

An atherectomy apparatus, comprising: a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an obstructed arterial lumen, said member including, a cylindrical cutting blade means having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting obstructive material as said member is pulled back through said lumen; and, a means for securing the cut material within a collection chamber that is integrally formed within said cutting blade means, whereby removed material is retained without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade means, and wherein said member includes an interior passageway that is adapted to fit around a guide wire so that said member can be advanced along said guide wire.

Claim 6

An atherectomy apparatus, comprising: a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an obstructive arterial lumen, said member including, a cylindrical cutting blade means having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting obstructive material as said member is pulled back through said stenotic lumen; a means for securing the cut material within a collection chamber that is integrally formed within said cutting blade means, whereby removed material is retained without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade means; and, an ultrasonic means operably coupled to said distal portion for causing vibratory motion of said distal portion.

Claim 7

An atherectomy apparatus, comprising: a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an obstructive arterial lumen, said member including, a cylindrical cutting blade means having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting obstructive material as said member is pulled back through said stenotic lumen; a means for securing the cut material within a collection chamber that is integrally formed within said cutting blade means, whereby removed material is retained without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade means; and, an ultrasonic means operably coupled to said distal portion for causing vibratory motion of said distal portion.

Claim 8

An atherectomy apparatus comprising: a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an arterial stenotic lumen; a cylindrical cutting blade having a circular cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting stenotic material as said circular cutting edge is pulled back through stenotic lumen, said circular cutting edge having a first and largest diameter; a hollow chamber formed within said apparatus between said cylindrical cutting blade and a cylindrical inner portion of said distal member having a second and smallest diameter; and, a second guide portion fixedly attached at its distal end to the proximal end of said cylindrical inner portion, having a third and intermediary diameter larger than said second diameter but less than said first diameter and cooperating with said cylindrical inner portion and said cylindrical cutting blade to form a hollow collection chamber having a restricted entrance mouth, so as to retain the cut stenotic material in said hollow chamber.

Claim 9

An atherectomy apparatus comprising: a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an arterial stenotic lumen; a cylindrical cutting blade having a circular cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting stenotic material as said circular cutting edge is pulled back through stenotic lumen, said circular cutting edge having a first and largest diameter; a hollow chamber formed within said apparatus between said cylindrical cutting blade and a cylindrical inner portion of said distal member having a second and smallest diameter; and, a second guide portion fixedly attached at its distal end to the proximal end of said cylindrical inner portion, having a third and intermediary diameter larger than said second diameter but less than said first diameter and cooperating with said cylindrical inner portion and said cylindrical cutting blade to form a hollow collection chamber having a restricted entrance mouth, so as to retain the cut stenotic material in said hollow chamber.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the distal end of said distal portion is shaped so as to include a forward guiding means for guiding said member as it is advanced through said stenotic lumen.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said forward guiding means has a conically shaped surface.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said conically shaped surface has at least two different slopes.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said circular cutting edge is serrated so that rotation of said circular cutting edge will enhance cutting during pullback.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said apparatus is operably connected to a catheter cylinder having a proximal end extending external to said living body.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said catheter cylinder and said apparatus contains an internal passageway so that fluid can be injected through said internal passageway to the site of said stenotic lumen.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a means for rotating said distal portion as said apparatus is pulled back through the stenotic lumen.

Claim 17

An atherectomy apparatus comprising: a guide wire adapted to be advanced in an antegrade direction so as to penetrate through an obstructed arterial lumen; a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through said obstructed arterial lumen, said member having an inner lumen adapted to fit around said guide wire so that said distal portion can be advanced along said guide wire; and said member including, a removing means having a cutting blade facing toward the proximal end of said member and a collection chamber integrally formed within said cutting blade for cutting and collecting obstructive material as said cutting blade is pulled back through said arterial lumen.

Claim 18

An atherectomy apparatus comprising: a guide wire adapted to be advanced in an antegrade direction so as to penetrate through an obstructed arterial lumen; a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through said obstructed arterial lumen, said member having an inner lumen adapted to fit around said guide wire so that said distal portion can be advanced along said guide wire; and said member including, a removing means having a cutting blade facing toward the proximal end of said member and a collection chamber integrally formed within said cutting blade for cutting and collecting obstructive material as said cutting blade is pulled back through said arterial lumen.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said cutting blade has a circular cutting edge and wherein said removing means collects obstructive material without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said cutting blade is serrated.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a means for rotating said distal portion as said apparatus is pulled back through said obstructed arterial lumen.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the exterior surface of said distal portion is polished to reduce its coefficient of friction.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the exterior surface of said distal portion is coated with a substance to reduce its coefficient of friction.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said exterior surface is coated with Teflon.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said cutting edge is made from a hard metal sharpened to form a sharp cutting edge.

Claim 26

An atherectomy catheter, comprising: a catheter having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through a stenotic lumen in a tubular vessel of a living body, said distal portion comprising, a cutting cylinder having a sharpened edge, said sharpened edge facing toward the proximal end of said catheter tip for removing stenotic material as said distal portion is pulled back through said stenotic lumen; a guiding cylinder located at the proximal end of said distal portion for guiding said distal portion as it is pulled back through said stenotic lumen, said guiding cylinder having an outer diameter slightly less than the diameter of said sharpened edge, so that a gap is formed therebetween; a conical guiding surface located at the distal end of said distal portion for guiding said distal portion as it is advanced through said stenotic lumen; a hollow chamber formed within said distal portion, wherein the gap formed between said sharpened edge and said guiding catheter forms the mouth to said hollow chamber so that said hollow chamber will collect stenotic material removed from the interior of said stenotic lumen; an inner passageway running the length of said catheter and said distal portion, said passageway adapted to fit around a guide wire so that said distal portion can be advanced along said guide wire.

Claim 27

An atherectomy catheter, comprising: a catheter having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through a stenotic lumen in a tubular vessel of a living body, said distal portion comprising, a cutting cylinder having a sharpened edge, said sharpened edge facing toward the proximal end of said catheter tip for removing stenotic material as said distal portion is pulled back through said stenotic lumen; a guiding cylinder located at the proximal end of said distal portion for guiding said distal portion as it is pulled back through said stenotic lumen, said guiding cylinder having an outer diameter slightly less than the diameter of said sharpened edge, so that a gap is formed therebetween; a conical guiding surface located at the distal end of said distal portion for guiding said distal portion as it is advanced through said stenotic lumen; a hollow chamber formed within said distal portion, wherein the gap formed between said sharpened edge and said guiding catheter forms the mouth to said hollow chamber so that said hollow chamber will collect stenotic material removed from the interior of said stenotic lumen; an inner passageway running the length of said catheter and said distal portion, said passageway adapted to fit around a guide wire so that said distal portion can be advanced along said guide wire.

Claim 28

The catheter of claim 21, wherein the outer diameter of said guiding cylinder is approximately the diameter of the narrowed stenotic lumen.

Claim 29

The catheter of claim 21, wherein said conical guiding surface has a front portion having a relatively steep conical slope and a back portion having a relatively shallow slope.

Claim 30

The catheter of claim 21, wherein the outer surface of said cutting cylinder is treated to reduce its coefficient of friction.

Claim 31

The catheter of claim 21, wherein said gap formed between said sharpened edge and said guiding cylinder measures 10 to 80 mils.

Claim 32

The catheter of claim 21, wherein said sharpened edge is serrated so that rotation of said distal portion will enhance cutting action of the sharpened edge.

Claim 35

The method of claim 27 further including the step of rotating said cutting edge during said pull back step.

Claim 38

The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of: collecting the removed material from the stenosis in a hollow chamber formed within said distal portion of said pullback atherectomy catheter, said hollow chamber having an opening beneath said cutting edge; and removing said pullback atherectomy catheter with stenotic material from said living body.

Claim 39

The method of claim 29, wherein said deploying step involves first advancing said guide wire through the stenotic lumen and then advancing the pullback atherectomy catheter along said guide wire.

Claim 40

The method of claim 29, wherein said deployment involves first assembling said guide wire in said pullback atherectomy catheter and then advancing the assembly through said guiding catheter.

Claim 41

The method of claim 29, wherein said pullback atherectomy catheters include said distal portions of progressively larger diameter which are used for progressively increasing the area of the stenotic lumen.

Claim 42

The method of claim 29, wherein the distal end of said guiding catheter is given a preformed shape to suit a particular arterial geometry.

Claim 43

The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of employing an angioplasty balloon catheter procedure to further dilate the stenotic lumen.

Claim 44

An atherectomy apparatus, comprising: a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an obstructive arterial lumen, said member including, a cylindrical cutting blade means having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting obstructive material as said member is pulled back through said lumen; a means for securing the cut material within a collection chamber that is integrally formed within said cutting blade means, whereby removed material is retained without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade means; and, an electrocautery cutting means having an electrical current means electrically grounded to said living body and also having a second connection to said distal portion for enhancing removal of obstructive material.

Claim 45

An atherectomy apparatus, comprising: a member having a distal portion adapted to be advanced through an obstructive arterial lumen, said member including, a cylindrical cutting blade means having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said apparatus for cutting obstructive material as said member is pulled back through said lumen; a means for securing the cut material within a collection chamber that is integrally formed within said cutting blade means, whereby removed material is retained without the cooperation of a second member requiring motion relative to said cutting blade means; and, an electrocautery cutting means having an electrical current means electrically grounded to said living body and also having a second connection to said distal portion for enhancing removal of obstructive material.