Tissue-removing catheter with reciprocating tissue-removing head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10517632-B2
Application number	US-201615188525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2016
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A tissue-removing catheter includes a catheter body and a tissue-removing head. The catheter body has an annular shearing blade at the distal end thereof. The tissue-removing head is at the distal end of the catheter body and is configured to rotate about an head axis relative to the catheter body, and reciprocate along the head axis relative to the catheter body between proximal and distal positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tissue-removing catheter comprising:
a catheter body having opposite proximal and distal ends and an inner lumen;
an annular shearing blade secured to the distal end of the catheter body;
a drive shaft received in the inner lumen;
a tissue-removing head connected to the drive shaft at the distal end of the catheter body, wherein the tissue-removing head is configured to rotate about a head axis relative to the catheter body, and wherein the tissue-removing head is configured to reciprocate along the head axis relative to the catheter body between a proximal position, in which the tissue-removing head is adjacent the annular shearing blade, and a distal position, in which the tissue-removing head is spaced axially from the annular shearing blade; and
a rotary actuator connected to the drive shaft and configured to drive rotation of the tissue-removing head relative to the catheter body about the head axis; and
a linear actuator connected to the drive shaft and configured to drive repetitive reciprocation of the tissue-removing head along the head axis between the proximal position and the distal position;
wherein the rotary actuator and the linear actuator are configured to simultaneously drive the rotation and repetitive reciprocation of the tissue-removing head to facilitate repetitively boring the tissue-removing head through tissue and urging tissue proximally toward the annular shearing blade.

2. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1 , wherein the driveshaft is rotatable about the catheter body and operatively connected to the tissue-removing head to impart rotation of the tissue-removing head about the head axis.

3. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 2 , wherein the driveshaft is reciprocatable along the catheter body and operatively connected to the tissue-removing head to impart reciprocation of the tissue-removing head along the head axis.

4. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 2 , wherein the driveshaft has a longitudinal axis and includes an external helical thread surrounding the longitudinal axis, wherein the external helical thread is configured to transport removed tissue proximally along the driveshaft and within the catheter body as the driveshaft rotates relative to the catheter body.

5. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 4 , wherein the external helical thread extends proximally along the longitudinal axis from adjacent the tissue-removing head.

6. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 5 , wherein the external helical thread has a variable pitch.

7. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 6 , wherein the variable pitch of the external helical thread is relatively coarse adjacent a distal end of the external helical thread and relatively fine adjacent a proximal end of the external helical thread.

8. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 4 , further comprising a driveshaft bushing received in the catheter body and defining a bearing opening extending through proximal and distal ends of the driveshaft bushing, wherein the driveshaft extends through the bearing opening.

9. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 8 , wherein the driveshaft bushing is fixedly attached to the catheter body.

10. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 8 , wherein the driveshaft bushing defines a tissue opening disposed radially outward from the bearing opening and extending through the proximal and distal ends of the driveshaft bushing, wherein the tissue opening is configured to allow removed tissue transported via the external helical thread to pass proximally therethrough.

11. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 10 , wherein tissue opening comprises a plurality of tissue openings spaced apart from one another around the bearing opening.

12. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 10 , wherein the external helical thread has a proximal end configured to abut the distal end of the driveshaft bearing when the tissue-removing head is in the proximal position.

13. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 12 , wherein the proximal end of the external helical thread includes at least one of grooves and ribs to facilitate shearing and breaking up of removed tissue between the proximal end of the external helical thread and the distal end of the driveshaft bearing.

14. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1 , wherein the tissue-removing head has a generally conical shape that tapers distally.

15. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 14 , wherein the tissue-removing head defines a plurality of flutes extending from a distal end toward a proximal end of the tissue-removing head.

16. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 15 , wherein the flutes are spaced apart from one another around the head axis.

17. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 14 , wherein the tissue-removing head has an abrasive exterior surface.

18. The tissue-removing catheter set forth in claim 1 , wherein the annular shearing blade surrounds a proximal end portion of the tissue-removing head when the tissue-removing head is in the proximal position.

19. A method of removing tissue from a body lumen, the method comprising:
delivering a distal end of catheter body of a tissue-removing catheter to a target site within the body lumen, wherein the target site includes tissue-to-be-removed and wherein the catheter body has an inner lumen and the tissue-removing catheter comprises a drive shaft received in the inner lumen;
rotating a tissue-removing head connected to the drive shaft at the distal end of the catheter body about a head axis;
simultaneously with said rotating, linearly moving the tissue-removing head distally along the head axis from a proximal position, in which the tissue-removing head is adjacent an annular shearing blade at the distal end of the catheter body, and a distal position, in which the tissue-removing head is spaced axially from the annular shearing blade;
boring into the tissue-to-be-removed using the tissue-removing head as the tissue-removing head simultaneously rotates and moves distally along the head axis to the distal position;
retracting proximally, after said boring, the tissue-removing head from the distal portion to the proximal position; and
urging tissue proximally toward the annular shearing blade using the tissue-removing head as the tissue-removing head is retracted proximally;
wherein the tissue-removing catheter comprises a rotary actuator connected to the drive shaft and configured to drive the rotation of the tissue-removing head about the head axis and a linear actuator connected to the drive shaft and configured to repetitively drive the linear reciprocating movement the tissue-removing head distally and proximally along the head axis;
wherein the rotary actuator and the linear actuator are configured to simultaneously drive the rotation and repetitive reciprocation of the tissue-removing head to facilitate repetitively boring the tissue-removing head through the tissue and urging tissue proximally toward the annular shearing blade.

20. The method of removing tissue from a body lumen set forth in claim 19 , further comprising shearing, simultaneously with said urging tissue, the urged tissue using the annular shearing blade to remove the urged tissue from the body lumen.

21. A tissue-removing catheter comprising:
a catheter body having opposite proximal and distal ends;
an annular shearing blade secured to the

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Steele Bradley
• Morris Cassandra
• Whealon William
• Mcpeak Thomas

Classifications

• A61B2017/00685

  Archimedes screw · CPC title

• A61B2017/320775

  Morcellators, impeller or propeller like means · CPC title

• A61B2017/320716

  comprising means for preventing embolism by dislodged material · CPC title

• A61B2017/320028

  with reciprocating movements · CPC title

• A61B17/320758 Primary

  with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven (A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002) · CPC title