Atherectomy catheter drive assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11206975-B2
Application number	US-201916372112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2019
Priority date	May 14, 2012
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A drive assembly for driving an imaging catheter has a rotatable fiber and a rotatable drive shaft. The drive assembly includes a fiber optic rotating junction and a motor configured to rotate the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction. In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a sensor configured to detect a rotational position of the fiber optic rotating junction and a processor configured to obtain the detected rotational position and stop the motor only when the fiber optic rotating junction is in a predetermined rotational position. In some embodiments, the motor includes a hollow shaft through which at least a portion of the fiber optic rotating junction extends.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of imaging a body lumen, comprising:
positioning a proximal portion of an intravascular imaging catheter through a sterile cover such that a distal portion of the intravascular imaging catheter remains in a sterile field;
connecting the proximal portion to a drive assembly in a non-sterile field such that a fiber optic rotating junction of the drive assembly connects with a fiber of the intravascular imaging catheter;
activating a power actuator to turn on a motor of the drive assembly so that the motor simultaneously rotates a rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction and the fiber while the distal portion of the intravascular imaging catheter is in the sterile field; and
imaging a lumen of the body with the fiber as the fiber rotates.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising locking the proximal portion into the drive assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein connecting the proximal portion to the drive assembly automatically aligns an optical connection of the intravascular imaging catheter with a predetermined rotational position of the fiber optic rotating junction.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein imaging comprises imaging with optical coherence tomography.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the power actuator further rotates a driveshaft of the intravascular imaging catheter.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising cutting within the body lumen with a cutter attached to the driveshaft.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising translating the driveshaft axially to expose the cutter.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising translating the driveshaft axially to pack cut tissue into a nosecone of the intravascular imaging catheter.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pulling the sterile cover over the drive assembly.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising moving the covered portion of the drive assembly into the sterile field.

11. A method of imaging a body lumen, comprising:
positioning a distal portion of an intravascular imaging catheter in a sterile field;
connecting a proximal portion of the intravascular imaging catheter to a drive assembly in a non-sterile field such that a fiber optic rotating junction of the drive assembly connects with a fiber of the intravascular imaging catheter and automatically aligns an optical connection of the intravascular imaging catheter with a predetermined rotational position of the fiber optic rotating junction;
activating a power actuator to turn on a motor of the drive assembly so that the motor simultaneously rotates a rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction and the fiber while the distal portion of the intravascular imaging catheter is in the sterile field; and
imaging a lumen of the body with the fiber as the fiber rotates.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising locking the proximal portion into the drive assembly.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising positioning the proximal portion of the intravascular imaging catheter through a sterile cover prior to connecting the proximal portion to the drive assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising pulling the sterile cover over the drive assembly.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising moving the covered portion of the drive assembly into the sterile field.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein imaging comprises imaging with optical coherence tomography.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein activating the power actuator further rotates a driveshaft of the intravascular imaging catheter.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising cutting within the body lumen with a cutter attached to the driveshaft.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising translating the driveshaft axially to expose the cutter.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising translating the driveshaft axially to pack cut tissue into a nosecone of the intravascular imaging catheter.

Assignees

• Avinger Inc

Inventors

• Tachibana Brian Y
• Mcnall Charles W
• Zung Michael
• Smith Peter Howard
• Chiu Brian
• Bourne Douglas Joseph Scott
• Gupta Priyanshu

Classifications

• A61B1/3137 Primary

  for examination of the interior of blood vessels · CPC title

• A61B1/04 Primary

  combined with photographic or television appliances · CPC title

• A61B1/0016

  using motor drive units · CPC title

• A61B17/320758

  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

• A61B5/0066

  Optical coherence imaging · CPC title