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US 6,223,637 B1Granted
Catheter side-wall hole cutting method and apparatus
OwnerPeter T. Hanseninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hole cutter adapted for cutting holes through the sidewalls of medical catheters is fashioned from a hollow tube having a distal cutting end, a proximal ejection end and a lumen of smaller diameter near the cutting end. Slugs formed at the cutting end are extracted by suction applied to the ejection end, and are captured by a filter.
Claims20
An apparatus for cutting a hole through a side wall of a catheter, comprising:
- a vacuum source in fluid communication with a proximal end of a cutting tube, said cutting tube comprising:
- a distal end terminating in a cutting edge;
- said proximal end;
- and
- a lumen, extending between said distal and proximal ends, said lumen being of smaller diameter at said distal end than at said proximal end;
- structure arranged to collect a discard slug cut from said side wall;
- and
- an assembly configured and arranged for urging said distal end of said cutting tube from an exterior surface toward an interior surface through said side wall of said catheter whereby to cut said slug from said side wall.
5 more elements
A method of cutting a hole through a side wall of a catheter, comprising the steps of:
- a) adjusting a hole cutting machine to accommodate a catheter, said machine comprising a vacuum source in fluid communication with a proximal end of a cutting tube, said cutting tube comprising:
- a distal end terminating in a cutting edge;
- said proximal end;
- and
- a lumen, extending between said distal and proximal ends, said lumen being of smaller diameter at said distal end than at said proximal end;
- said hole cutting machine further comprising:
- discard slug collecting means;
- means for urging said cutting tube from an exterior surface toward an interior surface through said side wall of said catheter;
- a rotating coupling mechanism to receivingly engage said proximal end of said cutting tube, said rotating coupling mechanism operable to impart rotation to said cutting tube, said rotation being about a centerline axis of said cutting tube;
- b) energizing said vacuum source;
- c) placing a catheter tube in a cradle fixture to substantially align a centerline of said catheter with a centerline of said cutting tube;
- d) activating said rotating coupling mechanism to rotate said cutter tube;
- and
- e) urging said cutting tube through a sidewall of said catheter.
11 more elements
An apparatus for cutting a hole through a side wall of a catheter, comprising:
- a vacuum source in fluid communication with a proximal end of a cutting tube, said cutting tube comprising:
- a distal end terminating in a cutting edge;
- said proximal end;
- and
- a lumen, extending between said distal and proximal ends;
- means for urging said cutting tube from an exterior surface toward an interior surface through said side wall of said catheter;
- and
- discard slug detecting means configured and arranged to detect removal of a discard slug from said catheter.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.