Tissue-removing catheter with reciprocating tissue-removing head

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.

A tissue-removing catheter comprising:

• a catheter body having opposite proximal and distal ends;
• an annular shearing blade secured to the distal end of the catheter body;
• a tissue-removing head 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
• at least one actuator configured to drive (i) rotation of the tissue-removing head relative to the catheter body about the head axis and (ii) reciprocation of the tissue-removing head along the head axis between the proximal position and the distal position to facilitate repetitively boring the tissue-removing head through tissue and urging tissue proximally toward the annular shearing blade,
• wherein the tissue-removing head has a generally conical shape that tapers distally,
• wherein the tissue-removing head defines a plurality of flutes extending from a distal end toward a proximal end of the tissue-removing head.