Claims
- 1. A catheter for removing material from a body lumen, said catheter comprising:
a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; and a scoop-shaped cutting blade mounted on the catheter body, said cutting blade having a cutting edge and a material collection surface; wherein said cutting is configured to travel along a curved path about a pivot point of said cutting blade and wherein said material collection surface is located behind said cutting edge to urge material removed from said body lumen towards the catheter body.
- 2. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said cutting edge is mounted to move along a portion of said path in an outward direction from the catheter body to engage said material.
- 3. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said cutting edge of the cutting blade is mounted to move in an inward direction towards said catheter body after said cutting edge has engaged said material.
- 4. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said material collection surface comprises a concave surface.
- 5. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said cutting blade comprises a sphere having an opening wherein an edge of the opening defines the cutting edge.
- 6. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said cutting blade is mounted on said catheter body to reciprocate along a longitudinal path on said catheter body.
- 7. A catheter as in claim 6 wherein said cutting blade use a guide for defining said longitudinal path, said guide selected from the group consisting of a slotted track, a rail, or a ramp on said catheter body.
- 8. A catheter as in claim 6 wherein said cutting blade is mounted to reciprocate along said longitudinal path between a first position placing said cutting edge outside of said catheter body and a second position placing said cutting edge substantially within said catheter body.
- 9. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said cutting blade is mounted on said catheter body to rotate about an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said catheter body.
- 10. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said cutting blade includes a material engaging member mounted on said cutting blade to engage said material before said cutting edge contacts said material.
- 11. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said cutting blade includes at least one penetrating point mounted on said cutting blade to engage said material before said cutting edge contacts said material.
- 12. A catheter as in claim 1 further comprising a second cutter mounted on said catheter body to assist said cutting edge of the cutting blade in parting-off of material.
- 13. A catheter as in claim 1 further comprising an actuator within said catheter body to move the cutting blade along said curved path.
- 14. A catheter as in claim 13 wherein said actuator comprises a pullwire coupled to said cutting blade.
- 15. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said catheter body comprises a catheter wall with an opening from which said cutting blade extends to engage material.
- 16. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said catheter body has a distal, forward facing opening from which said cutting blade extends to engage material.
- 17. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein the catheter body comprises an atraumatic, tapered distal end with a forward facing opening at said distal end.
- 18. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said catheter body has a shaft adaptor at said proximal end.
- 19. A catheter as in claim 1 wherein said catheter body comprises a cutting mechanism, said cutting blade mounted on said cutting mechanism.
- 20. An atherectomy catheter comprising:
a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a cutting mechanism mounted on said distal end of the catheter body; and cutting means rotatably mounted on said cutting mechanism for removing material from a body lumen.
- 21. A catheter as in claim 20 wherein said cutting means comprises a scoop-shaped cutting blade having a cutting edge mounted to move along a curved path about a pivot point of said cutting blade.
- 22. A catheter as in claim 21 wherein said cutting blade includes a collection surface located behind said cutting edge in the cutting direction.
- 23. A catheter as in claim 21 wherein said cutting blade is mounted to move in an outward direction from the catheter body for a portion of said curved path.
- 24. A method for removing material from a body lumen, the method comprising:
positioning a catheter body having a scoop-shaped cutting blade adjacent to said target material in the body lumen, said cutting blade having a cutting edge and a material collection surface; and rotating said cutting blade about a pivot point to engage and cut said target material while urging the material into the catheter body with said material collection surface.
- 25. A method as in claim 24 further comprising reciprocating said cutting blade along a longitudinal path on said catheter body to remove material.
- 26. A method as in claim 25 wherein said reciprocating of said cutting blade along said longitudinal path occurs while said cutting blade is being rotated.
- 27. A method as in claim 25 wherein said longitudinal moving step reciprocates the cutting blade between a first position where the cutting edge is outside the catheter body and a second position wherein the cutting edge is within the catheter body.
- 28. A method as in claim 25 further comprising piercing said material with a penetrating member in advance of engaging the material with said cutting edge.
- 29. A method as in claim 25 wherein said rotating of the cutting blade brings the cutting edge adjacent to a second cutting edge of a second cutter.
- 30. A method as in claim 29 wherein said second cutter is mounted on said catheter body.
- 31. A kit comprising:
a catheter having a scoop-shaped cutting blade; instructions for use in removing material from a body lumen comprising positioning said catheter adjacent to said material in the body lumen, said cutting blade having a cutting edge and a material collection surface, and rotating said cutting blade about a pivot point to engage and cut said material while urging the material into the catheter body with said material collection surface; and a package adapted to contain the device and the instructions for use.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of, and claims the benefit of priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 09/377,894, filed on Aug. 19, 1999, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09377894 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Child |
10245858 |
Sep 2002 |
US |