Atherectomy system with imaging guidewire

A system for reducing restriction of flow in a lumen of a blood vessel caused by an intraluminal plaque therein, the system comprising:

• a) an imaging guidewire insertable in the lumen of the blood vessel up to the intraluminal plaque without traversing the plaque, said imaging guidewire having a distal tip that includes imaging components capable of generating digital data which describe a cross-sectional image of the lumen and communicating said digital data to a central processing unit (CPU) and further capable of guiding a catheter to the intraluminal plaque without traversing the plaque, at least a portion of said distal tip having a diameter that is larger than a rest of said guidewire having a smaller diameter;
• (b) a catheter including a working head located at a distal tip of said catheter, said working head designed and constructed to remove at least a portion of the intraluminal plaque, said working head deployed on said imaging guidewire so as to accept passage of said rest of said imaging guidewire having said smaller diameter axially through a central region of said working head and said catheter as said catheter is propelled towards said intraluminal plaque until said catheter reaches a distal tip of said guidewire such that at least a portion of said imaging components are positioned inside said working head and a portion of said distal tip is the only element of either of said imaging guidewire and said catheter extending in front of said working head;
• (c) at least one positioning element integrally formed with, or attached to, said catheter, said at least one positioning element designed and constructed to position said working head within the lumen of the blood vessel;
• (d) a CPU designed and configured to:
• (i) accept input from a physician;
• (ii) to receive said digital data which describe said cross-sectional image of the lumen and transform said digital data into said cross-sectional image displayable upon a display device;
• (iii) operate actuators which control components of the system;
• and
• (iv) control operation of said positioning element by means of at least one of said actuators;
• and
• (e) one or more actuators, subject to control by said CPU and including:
• (i) at least one positioning element actuator responsible for the control of said at least one positioning device.

A system for reducing restriction of flow in a lumen of a blood vessel caused by an intraluminal plaque therein, the system comprising:

• (a) an imaging guidewire insertable in the lumen of the blood vessel, said imaging guidewire has a distal tip that includes at least an imaging sensor and at least a portion of said distal tip has a diameter that is larger than a rest of said guidewire having a smaller diameter, said imaging guidewire capable of generating digital data which describe a cross-sectional image of the lumen and communicating said digital data to a central processing unit (CPU) and further capable of guiding a catheter to the intraluminal plaque without traversing the plaque;
• (b) said catheter includes a working head, said working head deployed on said imaging guidewire so as to accept passage of said rest of said imaging guidewire having said smaller diameter axially through a central region of said working head and said catheter as said catheter is propelled over said imaging guidewire until said working head reaches said distal tip, said working head designed and constructed to remove at least a portion of the intraluminal plaque;
• and
• (c) at least one positioning element integrally formed with, or attached to, said catheter, said at least one positioning element designed and constructed to radially position said working head within the lumen of the blood vessel.