Atherectomy device

A surgical apparatus for removing deposits from an interior of a vessel, comprising:

• a rotatable shaft having a lumen extending therethrough dimensioned to receive a guidewire;
• a distal tip having a longitudinal axis and mounted on the rotatable shaft and rotatable about its longitudinal axis upon rotation of the shaft to remove deposits in an circumferential area determined by a major diameter of the distal tip as it rotates on its axis, the tip having a distal portion, a proximal portion and an intermediate portion between the distal and proximal portions, the distal tip including a guidewire lumen for receiving a guidewire, the distal portion being circular in cross-section and the intermediate and proximal portions being non-circular in cross-section, the non-circular cross section defined by first and second opposing curved walls defining a first distance therebetween, and third and fourth opposing walls each having a substantially straight side and defining a second distance therebetween, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance, and wherein each transverse cross-section of the tip defines a circumference, the first distance between opposing walls of the intermediate section being greater than the first distance between opposing walls of the distal section and the circumference at the distal section being equal to the circumference at the intermediate portion.

A method for removing deposits from an interior of a vessel comprising the steps of:

• providing an introducer sheath having a first internal diameter;
• providing a deposit removal tip having a rotating shaft and a rotating tip at the distal end of the shaft, the rotating tip having an outer diameter greater than the internal diameter of the sheath and further having first and second opposing narrowed regions;
• inserting the introducer sheath through a skin incision and into a vessel, the introducer sheath forming an incision opening at least equal to the external diameter of the sheath;
• inserting the rotating tip into the introducer sheath to deform the introducer sheath to accommodate the larger outer diameter of the rotating tip;
• inserting the tip out through a distal opening in the introducer sheath, thereby allowing the introducer sheath to return to its undeformed configuration;
• advancing the distal tip adjacent the deposits to be removed;
• and
• rotating the tip at high speed to contact and remove the deposits from the vessel.