Rotational atherectomy device with exchangeable drive shaft and meshing gears

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724123-B2
Application number	US-201414513404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 25, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An atherectomy device with an exchangeable drive shaft is disclosed, having a drive shaft gear at a distal end of the exchangeable drive shaft for meshing engagement with a prime mover gear on the output shaft of the prime mover. The exchangeable drive shaft is inserted into an opening at the distal end of the handle housing and moved axially in a proximal direction. Surface features on at least the prime mover housing and the engageable drive shaft help to align the drive shaft gear with the prime mover gear for meshing engagement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a drive shaft cartridge, comprising:
a nosecone;
an elongated support member extending proximally from the nosecone;
a gear engagement assembly at a proximal end of the support member, the gear engagement assembly comprising a drive shaft gear rotatably coupled with the support member; and
a drive shaft extending through an opening at a distal end of the drive shaft cartridge, the drive shaft comprising a proximal end fixedly attached to the drive shaft gear;

a handle, comprising a hollow interior extending proximally from an opening at a distal end thereof; and
a prime mover carriage disposed within the interior of the handle, the prime mover carriage comprising:
a prime mover chassis, comprising:
a support for aligning the support member; and
opposing ramps extending proximally along opposing sides of the support;

a prime mover housing disposed within the chassis, the housing comprising opposing ridges extending proximally along a first external surface opposite the ramps on the chassis;
a prime mover disposed within and fixedly attached to the housing, the prime mover comprising a prime mover gear fixedly attached to a shaft of the prime mover; and
a mooring for removably securing the gear engagement assembly and the housing to each other.

2. The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a biasing element between the chassis and a second external surface of the housing opposite the first external surface thereof; and
a release element for displacing the chassis and the second external surface of the housing in opposite directions.

3. The device of claim 2 , comprising a biased release element for:
retaining the prime mover carriage in a first zone of the handle while the gear engagement assembly and the housing are not moored to each other; and
releasing the prime mover carriage from the first zone when the gear engagement assembly and the housing are moored to each other.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein:
the ramps and the ridges comprise opposing sloped surfaces having increasing inclination in a proximal direction such that a distance between their vertices is greater than a distance between their apexes;
the sloped surfaces of the ridges terminate at their respective apexes; and
the ramps comprise horizontal surfaces extending proximally from their respective apexes.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein displacing the gear engagement assembly in the proximal direction between the ramps and the ridges displaces the gear engagement assembly and the housing in opposite directions and compresses the biasing element.

6. The device of claim 5 , comprising a depression on each opposing side of the support member distal of the gear engagement assembly such that each depression is in alignment with a corresponding ridge of the opposing ridges, wherein displacing the gear engagement assembly proximal of the ridges:
meshes the drive shaft gear and the prime mover gear; and
the compressed biasing element between the chassis and the housing displaces the gear engagement assembly and the housing towards each other and concurrently:
places the apex of each ridge into the corresponding depression;
moors the gear engagement assembly and the housing to each other; and
the proximal end of the support member displaces the biased release element whereby the prime mover carriage is released from the first zone and is operable for longitudinal displacement within the interior of the handle.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein placement of the apexes of the ridges into the corresponding depressions inhibits extraction of the gear engagement assembly from the prime mover carriage.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein mooring the gear engagement assembly and the housing to each other:
inhibits separation of the gear engagement assembly and the housing from each other;
inhibits un-meshing of the drive shaft gear and the prime mover gear;
inhibits retention of the prime mover carriage in the first zone of the handle; and
enables displacement of the support member and the prime mover carriage as a single component.

9. The device of 6 , wherein while the prime mover carriage is not in the first zone of the handle:
the release element is not operable for displacing the chassis and the second external surface of the housing in opposite directions;
the gear engagement assembly and the housing cannot be separated from each other; and
the drive shaft gear and the prime mover gear cannot be un-meshed.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein operating the release element displaces the gear engagement assembly and the housing in opposite directions and concurrently:
extracts the apexes of the ridges from the depressions;
separates the gear engagement assembly and the housing from each other;
un-meshes the drive shaft gear and the prime mover gear; and
enables extraction of the gear engagement assembly from the prime mover carriage.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein displacing the gear engagement assembly in the distal direction displaces the biased release element to retain the prime mover carriage in the first zone whereby displacement of the prime mover carriage from the first zone of the handle is inhibited.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the opening at the distal end of the handle and the support member comprise complementary contours for guiding the support member into the interior of the handle.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the support on the chassis and at least a portion of an external surface the support member comprise complementary contours for:
supporting the support member on the support of the prime mover carriage; and
aligning the gear engagement assembly with the ramps and the ridges.

14. The device of claim 1 , comprising a connector for removably coupling the drive shaft cartridge and the handle with each other, the connector comprising complementary first and second sections, wherein
the first section is integrally formed with a proximal end of the nosecone; and
the second section is integrally formed with the distal end of the handle.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein one of the prime mover gear and the drive shaft gear comprises oblique teeth relative to teeth of the other of the prime mover gear and the drive shaft gear.

16. A method, comprising:
retaining a prime mover carriage in a first zone within a hollow interior of a handle, the prime mover carriage comprising:
a prime mover chassis, comprising:
a support for aligning an elongated support member; and
opposing ramps extending proximally along opposing sides of the support;

a prime mover housing disposed within the chassis, the housing comprising opposing ridges extending proximally along a first external surface thereof opposite the ramps on the chassis;
a prime mover disposed within and fixedly attached to the housing, the prime mover comprising a prime mover gear fixedly attached to a shaft of the prime mover; and
a mooring for removably securing a gear engagement assembly and the housing to each other;

inserting a proximal end of a drive shaft cartridge into the interior of the handle through an opening at a distal end of the handle, wherein the drive shaft cartridge comprises:
a nosecone;
an elongated support member extending proximally from the nosecone;
a gear engagement assembly at a proximal end of the support member, the gear engagement assembly comprising a drive shaft gear rotatably coupled with the support member; and
a drive shaft extending through an opening at a distal end of the drive shaft cartridge, t

Assignees

• Cardivascular Systems

Inventors

• Rydberg Nicholas W
• Smith Gregory H
• Potts Blake G

Classifications

• A61B90/98

  using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders · 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

• A61B2017/0046

  with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable · CPC title

• A61B2017/00991

  Telescopic means · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title