Rotational atherectomy device with improved exchangeable drive shaft cartridge

A rotational atherectomy device comprising:

• a handle housing;
• a rotatable prime mover carried by a prime mover carriage which is disposed within the handle housing, the prime mover carriage being longitudinally movable with respect to the handle housing;
• an exchangeable drive shaft cartridge including:
• a cartridge housing which is removably attachable to the handle housing;
• a longitudinally movable tube disposed within the cartridge housing and having a proximal end portion which is removably attachable to the prime mover carriage for longitudinal movement therewith;
• a tube latch which selectively locks the longitudinally moveable tube against longitudinal movement with respect to the cartridge housing;
• and
• a rotatable flexible drive shaft having a proximal portion which is disposed within the longitudinally movable tube and a distal portion which includes a tissue removal implement;
• and
• a drive shaft attachment mechanism removably attaching the proximal portion of the drive shaft to the prime mover.

A rotational atherectomy device comprising:

• a handle housing;
• a rotatable prime mover carried by a prime mover carriage which is disposed within the handle housing, the prime mover carriage being longitudinally movable with respect to the handle housing;
• an exchangeable drive shaft cartridge including:
• a cartridge housing which is removably attachable to the handle housing;
• a longitudinally movable tube disposed within the cartridge housing and having a proximal end portion which is removably attachable to the prime mover carriage for longitudinal movement therewith;
• a tube latch which selectively locks the longitudinally movable tube against longitudinal movement with respect to the cartridge housing;
• and
• a rotatable flexible drive shaft having a proximal portion which is disposed within the longitudinally movable tube and a distal portion which includes a tissue removal implement;
• a drive shaft attachment mechanism removably attaching the proximal portion of the drive shaft to the prime mover;
• a cartridge latch removably locking the cartridge housing to the handle housing;
• and
• a slide which is longitudinally movable with respect to the cartridge housing among at least three positions, a working position where the slide causes the tube latch to unlock the longitudinally movable tube, a neutral position where the slide causes the tube latch to lock the tube against longitudinal movement with respect to the cartridge housing, and a cartridge unlocked position where the slide causes the tube latch to maintain the longitudinally movable tube in its locked position and unlocks the cartridge latch, thereby permitting the cartridge housing to be removed from the handle housing.

A device comprising:

• a handle housing;
• a carriage which is disposed within the handle housing, the carriage being longitudinally movable with respect to the handle housing;
• an exchangeable cartridge including:
• a cartridge housing which is removably attachable to the handle housing;
• a longitudinally movable tube disposed within the cartridge housing and having a proximal end portion which is removably attachable to the carriage for longitudinal movement therewith;
• a tube latch which selectively locks the longitudinally movable tube against longitudinal movement with respect to the cartridge housing;
• and
• a cartridge latch removably locking the cartridge housing to the handle housing;
• and
• a slide which is longitudinally movable with respect to the cartridge housing among at least three positions, a working position where the slide causes the tube latch to unlock the longitudinally movable tube, a neutral position where the slide causes the tube latch to lock the tube against longitudinal movement with respect to the cartridge housing, and a cartridge unlocked position where the slide causes the tube latch to maintain the longitudinally movable tube in its locked position and unlocks the cartridge latch, thereby permitting the cartridge housing to be removed from the handle housing.

An exchangeable cartridge attachable to a handle housing comprising:

• a cartridge housing which is removably attachable to the handle housing;
• a longitudinally movable tube disposed within the cartridge housing;
• a rotatable drive shaft having a proximal portion which is disposed within the longitudinally movable tube and a distal portion which includes a material removal implement;
• a cartridge latch;
• and
• a slide which is longitudinally movable with respect to the cartridge housing from a neutral position, where the cartridge latch is locked, to a cartridge unlocked position where the slide unlocks the cartridge latch, thereby permitting the cartridge housing to be removed from the handle housing.