# US 10,478,213 B2 · Tissue-removing catheter with adjustable cross-sectional dimension > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,213 B2 - Document ID: US10478213B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/189,785 - Filed: 2016-06-22 - Published: 2016-12-29 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-25 - Assignees: Covidien LP - Applicants: Covidien LP - Inventors: Thomas McPeak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478213B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/320725: {with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements (A61B17/32075 takes precedence)} - A61B 17/320758: {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)} - A61B 2017/22038: {with a guide wire} - A61B 2017/22061: {for spreading elements apart} - A61B 2017/320004: {abrasive} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A tissue-removing catheter includes a drive shaft and a tissue-removing head. The tissue-removing head is at the distal end of the drive shaft and is configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft. The tissue-removing head is selectively adjustable from an initial cross-sectional dimension to an expanded cross-sectional dimension larger than the initial cross-sectional dimension. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical device comprising: a tissue-removing catheter comprising: a drive shaft having opposite proximal and distal ends and configured for rotation about a longitudinal axis; a tissue-removing head at the distal end of the drive shaft, wherein the tissue-removing head is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the tissue-removing head is selectively adjustable from an initial cross-sectional dimension to an expanded cross-sectional dimension larger than the initial cross-sectional dimension; and an expansion mechanism configured to selectively adjust the tissue-removing head from the initial cross-sectional dimension to the expanded cross-sectional dimension, wherein the expansion mechanism includes an elastically deformable member disposed inside the tissue-removing head, wherein the elastically deformable member is selectively elastically compressible in a longitudinal direction to increase a cross-sectional dimension of the elastically deformable member from an initial cross-sectional dimension to an expanded cross-sectional dimension greater than the initial cross-sectional dimension when the elastically deformable member is longitudinally compressed to selectively adjust the tissue-removing head from the initial cross-sectional dimension to the expanded cross-sectional dimension; wherein the expansion mechanism includes an actuator and the tissue-removing catheter houses the actuator, the actuator being selectively movable axially within the tissue-removing head to elastically compress the elastically deformable member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical device set forth in claim 1, wherein the expansion mechanism includes a wire extending along the drive shaft, the wire being selectively moveable axially relative to the drive shaft and the tissue-removing head, wherein the actuator is secured to the distal end of the wire. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The medical device set forth in claim 2, wherein the wire is disposed in an axial lumen extending along the drive shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The medical device set forth in claim 2, wherein the wire is selectively movable proximally relative to the drive shaft to move the actuator proximally relative to the tissue-removing head to elastically compress the elastically deformable member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The medical device set forth in claim 2, wherein the wire is selectively movable distally relative to the drive shaft to move the actuator distally relative to the tissue-removing head to elastically compress the elastically deformable member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The medical device set forth in claim 5, wherein the actuator comprises a cone or ball member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The medical device set forth in claim 1, wherein the tissue-removing head comprises an abrasive exterior surface configured to abrade tissue as the tissue-removing head rotates about its longitudinal axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The medical device set forth in claim 7, wherein the tissue-removing head comprises a generally tubular body including longitudinal fingers spaced apart from one another circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of the tissue-removing head to define a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal slots. ### Claim 9 A method of debulking a body lumen, the method comprising: delivering a distal end of a tissue-removing catheter to a target site within the body lumen, the tissue-removing catheter including a drive shaft having opposite proximal and distal ends and configured for rotation about a longitudinal axis, and a tissue-removing head at the distal end of the drive shaft, wherein the tissue-removing head is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the tissue-removing head is selectively adjustable from an initial cross-sectional dimension to an expanded cross-sectional dimension larger than the initial cross-sectional dimension; adjusting the tissue-removing head from the initial cross-sectional dimension to the expanded cross-sectional dimension, wherein said adjusting the tissue-removing head comprises elastically compressing an elastically deformable member disposed inside the tissue-removing head in a longitudinal direction to increase a cross-sectional dimension of the elastically deformable member from an initial cross-sectional dimension to an expanded cross-sectional dimension greater than the initial cross-sectional dimension to selectively adjust the tissue-removing head from the initial cross-sectional dimension to the expanded cross-sectional dimension; rotating the drive shaft about its longitudinal axis to impart rotation of the tissue-removing head, wherein the rotating tissue-removing head removes tissue from a wall of the body lumen at the target site. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of debulking a body lumen set forth in claim 9, wherein the tissue-removing head includes an abrasive exterior surface, wherein the rotating tissue-removing head abrades tissue from the wall of the body lumen. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of debulking a body lumen set forth in claim 9, wherein said adjusting the tissue-removing head comprises axially moving an actuator within the tissue-removing head to elastically compress the elastically deformable member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of debulking a body lumen set forth in claim 11, wherein said axially moving an actuator comprises moving the actuator proximally. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of debulking a body lumen set forth in claim 11, wherein said axially moving an actuator comprises moving the actuator distally.