Vascular tissue removing device

Claim 2

A vascular tissue removing device comprising a tissue scraping tool to be rotated around an axis and having a plurality of cutters substantially radially projecting with respect to said axis of rotation, means for transmitting a rotational torque and a longitudinal movement to said tool and connected to said plurality of cutters, said means comprising a single layer multistrand closely spaced helically wound coil of wires, and means for guiding the direction of said longitudinal movement.

Claim 3

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of cutters are partially axially offset along the longitudinal axis of the tool.

Claim 4

A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for guiding said longitudinal movement of the tool includes a tubular element surrounding said tool, and said means for transmitting a rotational torque and a longitudinal movement to said tool includes an elongated shank extending outwardly of the other end of the tubular element.

Claim 5

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of cutters comprises the terminal ends of the wires of the helically wound coil, said coil being cut off in a plane normal to the axis of the helix and said terminal ends projecting partially radially outwardly from the periphery of said coil to define a rosette-shaped tool.

Claim 6

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said single layer multi-strand helically wound coil of wires has a leading end, an intermediate portion behind the leading end and an elongated trailing portion behind the intermediate portion, at least one of said wires terminating at the leading end of the coil in a first sharpened tissue cutter, and at least one of the other wires of the coil terminating in a second sharpened tissue cutter projecting partially radially outwardly from said intermediate portion behind said first cutter.

Claim 7

A device as defined in claim 5, wherein each of the wires forming said single layer coil terminates in a sharpened tissue cutter.

Claim 8

A device as defined in claim 6, wherein at least two of said wires forming said coil terminate at the leading end of the coil in sharpened tissue cutters.

Claim 9

A device as defined in claim 7, wherein at least two of the wires forming said tissue cutters terminate at locations spaced from each other axially of the coil.

Claim 10

A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said single layer multi-strand helically wound coil comprises at least four helical wires with substantially the same diameter and the same pitch of the helix, at least two of said wires terminating in sharpened tissue cutters axially spaced from each other and from the leading end of the coil.

Claim 11

A device as defined in claim 5, wherein said elongated trailing portion is radially flexible for insertion of the tissue cutters into the vascular system from the exterior of a living body and for operation of said tissue cutters from the exterior of said body by manual manipulation of said elongated trailing portion.

Claim 12

A device as defined in claim 10, wherein the turns of said helical wires in said trailing portion are disposed in axially abuTting relation, certain of said turns comprising a direction--changing flexure area, the axial thickness of adjacent portions of each of the turns of wire at said flexure area being reduced over approximately one-half of the adjacent circumferences thereof, a straight flexible wire being connected at one end with the extremity of the trailing portion adjacent said intermediate portion for exerting axial compression on the flexure area for altering the longitudinal curvature of said flexure area of the trailing portion.

Claim 13

A device as defined in claim 11, wherein the extremity of said trailing portion to be disposed exteriorly of a living body is provided with manual control means, said control means being fixedly connected with said single layer wire coil for exerting positive rotation to said cutters at the leading end of the coil, and with said straight flexible wire for exerting axial compression on the trailing portion.