Device and method for centering and crossing a vascular occlusion
AssigneeAngioSafe, Inc.
InventorMallik Thatipelli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A catheter for centrally crossing an occluded blood vessel includes a catheter body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a central passage. A rotatable drive shaft extending through the central passage and has a distal end, a proximal end, and a central lumen. A cutting tip is mounted on the distal end of the rotatable drive shaft and configured to cut through occlusive material when rotated. A plurality of spiral or other flat springs is disposed circumferentially about a distal portion of the catheter body to maintain centering of the catheter and form a passage as the catheter is advanced through a chronic total occlusion.
Claims19
A method for centrally crossing an occluded blood vessel, the method comprising:
- advancing a catheter through an occlusion in the blood vessel;
- and
- rotating or rotationally oscillating a cutting tip mounted on a distal end of the catheter to cut through occlusive material as the catheter is advanced, creating a passage through the occlusion;
- wherein a plurality of flat springs elastically self-expand from a radially constrained configuration to a radially expanded configuration to (1) atraumatically engage a wide lateral surface of each flat spring against a wall region of the blood vessel to centrally align at least the cutting tip of said catheter in a lumen of the blood vessel as the catheter is advanced, and (2) penetrate a narrow distal edge on the each flat spring through the occlusion as the catheter is advanced;
- wherein the plurality of flat springs are proximal of and distinct from the cutting tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.