Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
A dilating catheter, comprising: at least one for insertion into a body vessel; a flexible guide inside each tube, each guide including an arc portion capable of being positioned at a desired location inside the tube; a driving device for rotating the guide including the arc portion thereof inside the tube, said arc portion applying force to the tube so as to distend a potion of the tube radially outwardly to treat a constricted portion of the body vessel; and a gauge connected to the guide and effective for measuring mechanical resistance to rotation encountered by the guide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
98 words
A dilating catheter, comprising: at least one for insertion into a body vessel; a flexible guide inside each tube, each guide including an arc portion capable of being positioned at a desired location inside the tube; a driving device for rotating the guide including the arc portion thereof inside the tube, said arc portion applying force to the tube so as to distend a potion of the tube radially outwardly to treat a constricted portion of the body vessel; and a gauge connected to the guide and effective for measuring mechanical resistance to rotation encountered by the guide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The dilating catheter of claim 1, including an integrating meter coupled to the gauge for integrating the value of the dilation forces encountered by the guide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The dilating catheter of claim 2, further including a tachometer coupled to the guide for providing an indication of the rotational speed of the guide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The dilating catheter of claim 3, in which the driving device is capable of turning the guide in a first direction and in a second direction to respectively promote perfusion and extraction in the body vessel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The dilating catheter of claim 3, in which the integrating meter comprises an adder for adding the values of mechanical resistance to rotation during each rotation of the guide and for providing a reading graduated in units of force.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The dilating catheter of claim 1, in which the tube comprises a body in the form of a hollow radiopaque tube.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The dilating catheter of claim 1, in which the tube, the guide and driving device are configured so that rotation of the guide selectively promotes perfusion of liquid through the body vessel and extraction of released matter from the vessel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The dilating catheter of claim 1, in which the at least one tube comprises a first tube and a second tube, each of the first and second tubes having its respective flexible guide so as to act at any given moment of time at two different circumferential locations of the body vessel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The dilating catheter of claim 8, in which the arc of each of the respective flexible guides points in directions which are circumferentially about 180° apart relative to one another.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The dilating catheter of claim 1, further including a speed reducer coupled with the driving device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The dilating catheter of claim 1, in which the gauge comprises a current meter for measuring the driving device's current and for providing an indication of the resistance to rotation in units of force.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The dilating catheter of claim 1, further including a microprocessor data-analysis system coupled to the integrating meter for providing positive and negative feedback control.