Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
Catheter for detaching abnormal deposits from
blood vessels in humans, such as arteries or veins,
with a cutting tool (14, 16) which is arranged at its
front end (12a), has a rotor (16) and can be connected,
via a flexible drive shaft (32) arranged in a tubular
sheath (22), to a rotary drive mechanism (20) which can
be attached at a rear end (12b) of the catheter (12),
the flexible drive shaft being designed as a conveyor
screw (32) and being wound helically in such a way that
when it is being driven, it conveys the dislodged
deposits in the direction of the rotary drive mechanism
(20), characterized in that a guide wire (24) which can
be moved independently of the catheter extends
coaxially right through the flexible drive shaft
(32)designed as a conveyor screw.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
Catheter according to Claim 1, characterized
in that the drive shaft (32) designed as a conveyor
screw consists of a helically wound wire (32c).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
Catheter according to Claim 2, characterized
in that the wire (32c) is substantially rectangular in
cross-section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
Catheter according to Claim 3, characterized
in that the wire (32c) is coated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
Catheter according to one of the preceding
claims, characterized in that the cutting tool (14, 16)
has at least one slot (14b, 14c, 16b, 16c) through
which the deposits are conveyed into the inside of the
cutting tool (14, 16) when dislodged, and in that the
drive shaft (32) extends into the inside of the cutting
tool (14, 16).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
Catheter according to Claim 5, characterized
in that the cutting tool (14, 16) has a stator (14)
with a stator portion (14a), and in that cutting edges
(14d, 16d) are arranged on the stator portion (14a) and
on the rotor (16) to interact in a shearing action.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
Catheter according to Claim 6, characterized
in that the stator portion (14a) and the rotor (16) are
designed at least approximately cylindrical, at least
in the region of the cutting edges (14d, 16d), in that the rotor (16) surrounds the stator portion (14a) as
external rotor, and in that the cutting edges (14d,
16d) are arranged in the circumferential surfaces of
the rotor (16) and of the stator portion (14a).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
Catheter according to Claim 7, characterized
in that the slots (14b, 14c, 16b, 16c) are shearing
slots which are arranged in the circumferential
surfaces of the stator portion (14a) and of the rotor
(16) and whose margins are designed as the cutting
edges (14d, 16d).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
Catheter according to Claim 8, characterized
in that at least two shearing slots (14b, 14c, 16b,
16c) are arranged, uniformly distributed about the
circumference, in the stator portion (14a) and/or in
the rotor (16).