Over-the-wire atherectomy catheter

A catheter comprising:

• a housing torque cable;
• a housing connected to a distal end of the housing torque cable, the housing including a window for invaginating biological tissue;
• a cutter torque cable disposed within the housing torque cable;
• a cutter attached to a distal end of the cutter torque cable to operate within the housing, the window exposing the cutter;
• a nose cone coupled to a distal end of the housing for collecting and storing atheroma cut by the cutter;
• a resilient stabilizing member having a flat surface to stabilize a portion of the catheter within a biological conduit when positioned therein, the resilient stabilizing member disposed outside and opposite the housing window;
• and
• a stabilizing cable coupled to said resilient stabilizing member for selectively bowing and flattening the stabilizing member, wherein the resilient stabilizing member is taperingly attached to a distal end of the housing and the resilient stabilizing member is taperingly coupled to the stabilizing cable.

A catheter comprising:

• a housing having a window;
• a work element within said housing and exposed by said window;
• a resilient stabilizing member across a portion of said housing opposite said window, said resilient stabilizing member including a flat surface to contact a wall of a biological conduit to avoid rotational slip of said housing when placed within said biological conduit;
• and
• a stabilizing cable through a lumen of said catheter and coupled to said resilient stabilizing member to selectively effect said flat surface to contact said wall of said biological conduit, the resilient stabilizing member being taperingly coupled to the stabilizing cable and the resilient stabilizing member being taperingly attached to a distal end of the housing.

A catheter comprising:

• a housing torque cable having a proximal end and a distal end, said housing torque cable having a inflation lumen therein;
• a housing connected to the distal end of the housing torque cable, the housing including a window for invaginating biological tissue;
• a cutter torque cable located within the housing torque cable and to accommodate a guidewire, the cutter torque cable being concentric with the housing torque cable;
• a cutter attached to a distal end of the cutter torque cable and within the housing, the window exposing the cutter;
• a balloon disposed opposite the window, said balloon coupled to said inflation lumen;
• and
• a nose cone coupled to a distal end of said housing and including at least one longitudinal rib to increase strength of the nose cone, the at least one longitudinal rib being disposed embedded in an outer wall of the node cone.