Atherectomy devices, systems, and methods

A method for cutting and removing occlusive material from a body lumen, the method comprising:

• providing a vascular device comprising
• a catheter body sized and configured for advancement in the body lumen, the catheter body having a center axis and including spaced apart proximal and distal ends, the distal end of the catheter body including a tubular bending frame within the catheter body having a plurality of openings spaced along a radial side of the bending frame to provide reduced column strength along the radial side, the radial side facing a direction,
• a cutter assembly attached to the distal end of the catheter body and having an outside diameter located at a distal end of the bending frame, the cutter assembly including a cutter rotatable about the center axis to cut occlusive material,
• a drive mechanism at the proximal end of the catheter body and coupled to the cutter assembly to rotate the cutter,
• a sweep member coupled to a proximal end of the bending frame within the catheter body wherein advancing the sweep member toward the distal end of the catheter body applies an axial force to compress the bending frame, thereby bending the bending frame and the distal end of the catheter body relative to the center axis in the direction of the radial side, wherein the bending frame is rotatable independently of the drive mechanism and of the catheter body,
• advancing the cutter assembly within a body lumen toward occlusive material,
• operating the drive mechanism to rotate the cutter about the center axis to cut the occlusive material,
• advancing the sweep member to bend the bending frame and the distal end of the catheter body, and
• rotating the bending frame while the bending frame is bent to sweep the cutter assembly in an arc about the center axis to cut occlusive material in a region larger than the outside diameter of the cutter assembly.