Catheter system having distal tip for opening obstructions

Claim 1

Apparatus for opening an obstructed region of a patient blood vessel comprising: (a) a catheter having (i) a distal tip for widening the obstructed region by physically opening a passageway through said obstructed region, (ii) an elongated flexible drive shaft coupled to the distal tip and having a length sufficient to extend from a region outside a patient to said obstructed region, (iii) a proximal coupling connected to a proximal end portion of the drive shaft for imparting motion to said distal tip via the flexible drive shaft; and (iv) a tightly coiled wire bearing extending a substantial length along the flexible drive shaft between the distal tip and proximal coupling for supporting said drive shaft; and (b) reciprocating means positioned outside the patient and including a motor having an output shaft for imparting a back and forth translational motion to the proximal coupling to impart a reciprocating back and forth translational movement of to the drive shaft within the bearing to translate the distal tip back and forth in a ramming motion against the obstructed region to open the obstructed region of the blood vessel.