Lateral intravascular excision/incision devices

A lateral incision catheter for incising adjacent tissue at a target site, comprising:

• a rotating first catheter of generally circular circumference, including a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen extending therebetween;
• a first shell formed as a hollow semi-spherical surface of a hard, rigid material with a circumference approximately that of half a true circle, such that the circumference extends approximately 180 degrees, the first shell extending in a longitudinal direction of the first rotating catheter;
• and the first shell having a cutting surface located on each side;
• wherein the first rotating catheter is bonded to the first shell near a distal end of the first rotating catheter;
• a rotating second catheter of generally circular circumference having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen extending therebetween, being larger than, and surrounding said rotating first catheter;
• a second shell formed as a hollow semi-spherical surface of a hard, rigid material with a circumference approximately that of half a true circle, such that the circumference extends approximately 180 degrees, the second shell extending in a longitudinal direction of the rotating second catheter, the second shell having a cutting surface located on each side, the second shell being larger than the first shell so as to surround the first shell, the rotating second catheter is bonded to the second shell near a distal end of the rotating second catheter;
• wherein the rotating first catheter passes through an opening in the second shell;
• and wherein an outer surface of the first shell substantially conforms in curvature to that of the second shell to permit the first shell to rotate about its longitudinal axis with respect to the second shell;
• whereby the lateral incision catheter is configured to be advanced to a pre-selected site in the lumen of a blood vessel, wherein one or both of the rotating first catheter and rotating second catheter is configured to be rotated to properly position the first and second shells radially with respect to the pre-selected site, the rotating first catheter and rotating second catheter are then configured to rotate in opposite directions to allow the cutting surfaces of the first and second shell edges to engage the adjacent tissue to cut out and remove a section of a vessel lumen wall between the first and second shell edges, and;
• wherein after the first and the second shells have rotated about 180 degrees, a substantially closed container is formed by the first and second shells, and wherein the closed container holding the excised portion of vessel lumen wall is configured to be removed from the blood vessel by retraction of the lateral incision catheter.