Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
225 words
A catheter system for the excision of obstructive tissue from within a vessel of a living body comprising: a guide wire able to be advanced within a vessel in a living body such that the distal end of said guide wire is advanced beyond the obstructive tissue; a cut/collect catheter having an interior lumen forming a passageway for said guide wire and which can be advanced over said guide wire until the distal end of said cut/collect catheter is situated beyond the tissue to be excised, said cut/collect catheter having a distal portion at which is located a single, concentric, hollow cylindrical cutting blade having a tissue collection chamber formed within its interior surface and said cutting blade having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said cut/collect catheter for cutting obstructive tissue as said cut/collect catheter is pulled back in a retrograde direction; and, a closing catheter which surrounds the cut/collect catheter for most if its length, said closing catheter being adapted to move slidably along said cut/collect catheter and said closing catheter having a tapered distal portion which is tapered in the distal direction and adapted to make secure contact against the proximal end of said cylindrical cutting blade of said cut/collect catheter after the obstructive tissue has been cut so as to secure the cut tissue within said collection chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
225 words
A catheter system for the excision of obstructive tissue from within a vessel of a living body comprising: a guide wire able to be advanced within a vessel in a living body such that the distal end of said guide wire is advanced beyond the obstructive tissue; a cut/collect catheter having an interior lumen forming a passageway for said guide wire and which can be advanced over said guide wire until the distal end of said cut/collect catheter is situated beyond the tissue to be excised, said cut/collect catheter having a distal portion at which is located a single, concentric, hollow cylindrical cutting blade having a tissue collection chamber formed within its interior surface and said cutting blade having a cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said cut/collect catheter for cutting obstructive tissue as said cut/collect catheter is pulled back in a retrograde direction; and, a closing catheter which surrounds the cut/collect catheter for most if its length, said closing catheter being adapted to move slidably along said cut/collect catheter and said closing catheter having a tapered distal portion which is tapered in the distal direction and adapted to make secure contact against the proximal end of said cylindrical cutting blade of said cut/collect catheter after the obstructive tissue has been cut so as to secure the cut tissue within said collection chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a hollow flexible tip is joined at the distal end of said of said cut-collect catheter so as to better track over said guide wire.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparats of claim 2 wherein said hollow, flexible tip is made from an elastomer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a passageway is formed between the interior lumen of said cut/collect catheter and said collection chamber which provides fluid communication between said interior lumen of said cut/collect catheter and said collection chamber for the purpose of flushing out tissue that has been collected in said collection chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparats of claim 1 wherein the distal end of said closing catheter is fabricated from metal and shaped to prevent direct contact with said cutting edge of said cut/collect catheter so as to preclude dulling of said cutting edge.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distal end of said closing catheter is fabricated from a plastic material so as to prevent dulling of said cutting edge of said cut/collect catheter when said closing catheter's distal end makes contact with said cutting edge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein vent holes are formed near the distal end of said closing catheter which are in fluid communication with the proximal end of said closing catheter lying outside the living body for the purpose of injecting fluids into the vessel at said closing catheter's distal end.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein check valve means are provided at said closing catheter's proximal end to prevent the back flow of blood.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein stop cock means are provided at said closing catheter's proximal end to prevent the back flow of blood.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising separation gap control means which limits the distance that said distal end of said closing catheter can be pulled back from said cutting edge of said cylindrical cutting blade.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
210 words
A catheter system for the excision of obstructive tissue from within a vessel of a living body comprising: a cut/collect catheter having a concentric cylindrical cutting blade at a distal portion and which can be advanced within said vessel of said living body until its distal end is situated beyond the tissue to be excised, said cylindrical cutting blade having at least one cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said cut/collect catheter for cutting obstructive tissue as said cut/collect catheter is pulled back in a retrograde direction, and said cylindrical cutting blade having an interior surface shaped to form a tissue collection chamber for collecting the cut tissue; a closing catheter which surrounds the cut/collect catheter for most if its length, said closing catheter having a tapered distal portion tapered in the distal direction and adapted to make secure contact against the proximal end of said cylindrical cutting blade of said cut/collect catheter after the obstructive tissue has been cut so as to secure the cut tissue within said collection chamber; and, a rotating means attached to the proximal end of said cut/collect catheter for the purpose of rotating said cylindrical cutting blade as it is pulled back through obstructive tissue within a vessel of a living body.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
210 words
A catheter system for the excision of obstructive tissue from within a vessel of a living body comprising: a cut/collect catheter having a concentric cylindrical cutting blade at a distal portion and which can be advanced within said vessel of said living body until its distal end is situated beyond the tissue to be excised, said cylindrical cutting blade having at least one cutting edge facing toward the proximal end of said cut/collect catheter for cutting obstructive tissue as said cut/collect catheter is pulled back in a retrograde direction, and said cylindrical cutting blade having an interior surface shaped to form a tissue collection chamber for collecting the cut tissue; a closing catheter which surrounds the cut/collect catheter for most if its length, said closing catheter having a tapered distal portion tapered in the distal direction and adapted to make secure contact against the proximal end of said cylindrical cutting blade of said cut/collect catheter after the obstructive tissue has been cut so as to secure the cut tissue within said collection chamber; and, a rotating means attached to the proximal end of said cut/collect catheter for the purpose of rotating said cylindrical cutting blade as it is pulled back through obstructive tissue within a vessel of a living body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said rotating means emits an audio tone which is a function of its rotational speed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said audio tone decreases in pitch when said cut/collect catheter encounters increased torque resistance.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a guide wire means which can be advanced within said vessel in a living body such that the distal end of said guide wire is advanced beyond the obstructive tissue, and wherein said rotating means includes a passageway for said guide wire whereby said guide wire enters said rotating means at its distal end and emerges from said rotating means at its proximal end.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said rotating means includes a means to prevent rotation of said guide wire when said rotating means is rotating.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
153 words
A method for removing obstructive tissue from a vessel of a living body comprising the steps of: advancing a guide wire within a vessel in a living body until its distal end lies beyond the obstructive tissue; advancing together a cut/collect catheter having an interior lumen forming a passageway for said guide wire and having at least one cutting edge located near its distal end and a closing catheter having a tapered distal end that is tapered in the distal direction over said guide wire until said cutting edge is situated beyond the tissue to be excised; pulling back on said closing catheter so as to expose the at least one cutting edge located near the distal end of said cut/collect catheter; pulling back on said cut/collect catheter so as to cut and collect the obstructive tissue; and removing the entire apparatus including the cut and collected obstructive tissue from the living body.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
153 words
A method for removing obstructive tissue from a vessel of a living body comprising the steps of: advancing a guide wire within a vessel in a living body until its distal end lies beyond the obstructive tissue; advancing together a cut/collect catheter having an interior lumen forming a passageway for said guide wire and having at least one cutting edge located near its distal end and a closing catheter having a tapered distal end that is tapered in the distal direction over said guide wire until said cutting edge is situated beyond the tissue to be excised; pulling back on said closing catheter so as to expose the at least one cutting edge located near the distal end of said cut/collect catheter; pulling back on said cut/collect catheter so as to cut and collect the obstructive tissue; and removing the entire apparatus including the cut and collected obstructive tissue from the living body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of: attaching a rotating means at the proximal end of said cut/collect catheter; turning on the rotating means as the cut/collect catheter is pulled back through the obstructive tissue; and turning off the rotating means after said cutting edge makes contact with the distal end of said closing catheter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of feeding said guide wire through said rotating means prior to turning on said rotating means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of clamping down on said guide wire within said rotating means to prevent rotation of said guide wire when said rotating means is turned on.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of flushing out of the collected tissue after said cut/collect catheter has been removed from the living body.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of injecting a fluid from the proximal end of said closing catheter so that said fluid is vented from holes located near said closing catheter's distal end.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 21 wherein said fluid is contrast medium for obtaining fluoroscopic visualization.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 21 wherein said fluid is a medication.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of removing intimal tissue broken off the wall of an artery as a result of balloon angioplasty dilation of that artery.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said tissue to be excised is both thrombus and plaque within an artery of a living body.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 25 wherein said method is applied to the treatment of acute myocardial infarction.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said vessel lies within the urogenital tract of said living body.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said vessel lies within the digestive tract of said living body.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said vessel is a bile duct.