Shaped wire rotational atherectomy device

A method of removing a stenosis from a vessel, comprising:

• advancing a substantially linear guidewire through the vessel across the stenosis;
• advancing an atherectomy device having a rotary drive shaft and a preshaped cutting portion through the vessel, over the guidewire, to a region proximate the stenosis, the cutting portion having a guidewire lumen therein receiving the guidewire and being selectively movable between an insertion shape and a cutting shape, the cutting shape having a radially enlarged overall conformation relative to the insertion position;
• moving the cutting portion from the insertion shape to the cutting shape without changing the outer diameter of the cutting portion itself;
• driving the drive shaft to cause rotation of the cutting portion;
• and
• moving the cutting portion across the stenosis.

An atherectomy device for cutting a restriction in a blood vessel, comprising:

• an elongate cutting member having a lumen therein, the lumen being sized to track over a guidewire;
• a drive shaft coupled to the cutting member to drive rotation of the cutting member;
• an elongate shaping member cooperable with the cutting member and disposed generally longitudinally relative to the cutting member, the shaping member having an insertion conformation and an expanded conformation, the expanded conformation being radially expanded relative to the insertion conformation, the shaping member being configured to deform the cutting member from an insertion shape into a cutting shape as the shaping member moves from the insertion conformation to the expanded conformation without changing an outer diameter of the cutting member itself;
• and
• an insertion device cooperable with the cutting member and configured to selectively retain the cutting member in the insertion shape.

An atherectomy device for removing stenosis from a vessel, comprising:

• an elongate drive shaft having a lumen, and a proximal end configured to be coupled to a rotary driver;
• a cutting portion extending from a distal end of the drive shaft, the cutting portion including a tubular cutting member, receiving a guidewire and having an outer cutting surface, and a preformed shaping member disposed in the lumen of the drive shaft and the lumen of the tubular member, the preformed shaping member being movable between an insertion shape and a cutting shape, the cutting shape having an overall conformation that is radially larger than that of the insertion shape;
• wherein the cutting member is deformable and connected to the shaping member to assume a cutting shape similar to the cutting shape of the shaping member when the shaping member assumes the cutting shape, without changing the outer diameter of the cutting member itself;
• and
• a protection sleeve positioned radially about the shaping member between the shaping member and an inner lumen wall of the lumen through the drive shaft.

An atherectomy device for removing stenosis from a lumen, comprising:

• an elongate drive shaft having a proximal end configured to be coupled to a rotary driver;
• a cutting portion extending from a distal end of the drive shaft, the cutting portion including a cutting member having an elongate tubular cutting surface having a blade attached thereto and a preformed shaping member cooperable therewith, the preformed shaping member being movable between an insertion shape and a cutting shape, the cutting shape having an overall conformation that is radially larger than that of the insertion shape;
• and
• wherein the cutting member is deformable and connected to the shaping member to assume a cutting shape similar to the cutting shape of the shaping member when the shaping member assumes the cutting shape, without changing the outer diameter of the cutting member itself.

An atherectomy device for removing stenosis from a lumen, comprising:

• an elongate drive shaft having a proximal end configured to be coupled to a rotary driver;
• a cutting portion extending from a distal end of the drive shaft, the cutting portion and connected to a guidewire including a cutting member having a cutting surface, and a preformed shaping member cooperable therewith, the preformed shaping member being movable between an insertion shape and a cutting shape, the cutting shape having an overall conformation that is performed to form a helix and is radially larger than that of the insertion shape;
• and
• wherein the cutting member is deformable and connected to the shaping member to assume a cutting shape similar to the cutting shape of the shaping member when the shaping member assumes the cutting shape, without changing the outer diameter of the cutting member itself.

An atherectomy device for removing stenosis from a lumen, comprising:

• an elongate drive shaft having a proximal end configured to be coupled to a rotary driver;
• a cutting portion extending from a distal end of the drive shaft, the cutting portion including a cutting member having a cutting surface and a preformed shaping member cooperable therewith, the preformed shaping member being movable between an insertion shape and a cutting shape, the cutting shape having an overall conformation that is performed to form a conical helix and is radially larger than that of the insertion shape;
• and
• wherein the cutting member is deformable and connected to the shaping member to assume a cutting shape similar to the cutting shape of the shaping member when the shaping member assumes the cutting shape, without changing the outer diameter of the cutting member itself.