Single lumen atherectomy catheter device

Claim 1

In an atherectomy device for removal of material from an atheroma in a vessel of the vascular system of a patient, a generally cylindrical housing, said housing being formed with a cutout extending longitudinally of the housing on one side of the housing, atheroma cutting means disposed within the housing, flexible guiding means secured to the proximal end of the housing for advancing the housing into the vessel, flexible drive means connected to the atheroma cutting means for operating the atheroma cutting means, balloon-like inflatable means carried by the housing and disposed on the exterior of the housing opposite the side in which the cutout is formed, said flexible guiding means having only a single lumen extending therethrough, said flexible drive means extending through said single lumen, means coupled to the balloon for establishing communication between the balloon and the single lumen, means including a balloon inflation port coupled to the flexible guiding means and in communication with the single lumen in the guiding means for introducing an inflatable medium into the single lumen for inflating the balloon-like member and fluid-tight means carried by the housing and the flexible guiding means for establishing proximal and distal seals about the flexible drive means so that the single lumen provides a fluid-tight passage between the balloon inflation port and the balloon.