Apparatus and methods for material capture and removal

Abstract

Catheters, kits, and methods are provided for removing material from a body lumen. The catheters and methods may be used in a variety of body lumens, including but not limited to coronary and other arteries. In general, the catheter has a cutting element that cuts material while the material is engaged by a material capture device on the catheter body. Preferably, the material capture device tensions the material during cutting, which reduces the amount of cutting force required. The material capture device typically follows a path that draws material into the catheter body. Preferably, but not necessarily, the material capture device may be arranged on the catheter body to advance along a path outwardly from the catheter body into the material and then inwardly towards the catheter body to tension the material. The cutting element on the catheter body moves between a first position and a second position to cut the material while in tension.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for removing occluding materials from body lumens. More particularly, the present invention relates to the construction and use of atherectomy catheters for excising atheroma and other materials from blood vessels. [0002] Cardiovascular disease frequently arises from the accumulation of atheromatous material on the inner walls of vascular lumens, particularly arterial lumens of the coronary and other vasculature, resulting in a condition known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs naturally as a result of aging, but may also be aggravated by factors such as diet, hypertension, heredity, vascular injury, and the like. Atheromatous and other vascular deposits restrict blood flow and can cause ischemia which, in acute cases, can result in myocardial infarction. Atheromatous deposits can have widely varying properties, with some deposits being relatively soft and others being fibrous...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The present invention provides catheters, kits, and methods for removing material from a body lumen. The catheters and methods of the present invention are for use in a variety of body lumens, including but not limited to intravascular lumens such as the coronary artery and other blood vessels. In general, the catheter of the present invention has a cutting element that cuts material engaged by a material capture device on the catheter body. Preferably, the material capture device tensions the material during cutting, which reduces the amount of cutting force required. The material capture device typically follows a path that draws material into the catheter body. Preferably, but not necessarily, the material capture device is arranged on the catheter body to advance along a path outwardly from the catheter body into the material and then inwardly towards the catheter body to tension the material. In some embodiments, the material capture device may extend in an outwardly direction but not beyond the outer diameter of the catheter body. The cutting element on the catheter body moves between a first position and a second position to cut the material while in tension, where motion of the cutting element urges the material capture device to draw cut material into the catheter body.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for excising occlusive material from within a body lumen. The method involves engaging the occlusive material with a material capture device on a catheter body. The material is drawn in a radially inward direction by the device to tension the material to be cut. A blade is advanced through the tensioned material to sever the material from the body lumen. As mentioned previously, tensioning the material reduces the amount of cutting force required. The tensioning of the occlusive material may also comprise moving the material capture device towards a catheter body while the material capture device is in contact with the occlusive material. Typically, the engaging and tensioning steps may also be performed with a single motion by the user to facilitate cutting.

Problems solved by technology

Atheromatous and other vascular deposits restrict blood flow and can cause ischemia which, in acute cases, can result in myocardial infarction.

Although atherectomy catheters have proven to be very successful in treating many types of atherosclerosis, some catheter designs suffer from certain limitations.

For example, many side-cutting atherectomy catheters have difficulty in capturing occluding material in the cutting aperture.

Although improving material capture, such lengthening makes it more difficult to introduce the distal end of the catheter through torturous regions of the vasculature.

Additionally, it is often difficult for conventional atherectomy cutters to apply the requisite pressure to cut off the targeted material.

When higher pressures are applied, damage to the artery (barotrauma) can occur.

High pressures can also compress plaque, subsequently reducing the cutter's ability to capture the occlusive material.

This decreases the effectiveness of these cutters and limits the cutter and catheter designs.

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