Atherectomy device

Claim 2

An atherectomy device from removing plaque from the interior of a lumen upon travel of the device therethrough, comprising: a. a rotatable head having nose, central and tail portions; i. said nose portion being bulbously outwardly curved and defining a forward extremity of said head for initial passage within said lumen, of circular shape at juncture with said central portion, with the center of the circular shape coincident with the longitudinal axis of said head; ii. said tail portion being separated from said nose portion by said central portion, said tail portion defining a rear extremity of said head as said head portion passes through said lumen, said tail portion being of rectangular transverse cross-section and tapering from a relatively smaller maximum diameter at juncture with said nose portion to a relatively larger maximum diameter at a rear extremity of said rotatable head; iii. said central portion transitionally tapering from and connecting said circular nose portion to said rectangular transverse cross-section tail portion, and central portion being of larger transverse cross-sectional area at juncture with said tail portion than at said juncture with said nose portion; b. said head having a plurality of longitudinally extending cutting grooves formed therein commencing proximate juncture of said circular nose portion and said central portion and extending rearwardly therefrom.

Claim 3

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said head has a central passageway extending the longitudinal length thereof coincidently with the longitudinal axis of said head, adapted for passage therethrough of means for guiding travel of said head through said lumen.

Claim 4

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said tail portion tapers in only one dimension of the rectangular shape.

Claim 5

The atherectomy device of claim 3 wherein said tail portion tapers non-uniformly.

Claim 6

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said central portion tapers uniformly.

Claim 7

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein at least some of said cutting grooves in said surface extend along the central portion and the rear portion.

Claim 8

The atherectomy device of claim 2 wherein said passageway has an enlarged portion at the rear end of said head for securement of means for rotating said head.

Claim 9

The atherectomy device of claim 2 wherein there is a second passageway through said head having an aperture end communicating with said cutting grooves and having a second aperture end formed in a rear section surface portion between juncture of said central and rear sections and the rear extremity of said head.

Claim 10

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said cutting grooves extend along surfaces of non-tapering sides of said rectangular cross-section of said tail portion.

Claim 11

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said grooves transition longitudinally from v-shaped to rectangular.

Claim 12

The atherectomy device of claim 10 wherein at least some of said rectangular portions of said grooves are square.

Claim 13

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said grooves have depth no greater than 0.005 inches.

Claim 14

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said v-shaped and rectangular portions of some of said grooves have the same depth.

Claim 15

The atherectomy device of claim 11 wherein said v-shaped portions of said grooves have depth exceeding groove width at the groove mouth.

Claim 16

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein groove width increases by a factor of 10 with position along groove longitudinal length.

Claim 17

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein said grooves extend from said circular nose portion along said central portion at least to a region of constant circumference along the axial direction.

Claim 18

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein adjacent grooves at said nose portion are separated by a distance about ten times the width of the mouth of said grooves thereat.

Claim 19

The atherectomy device of claim 1 wherein the bottom of at least one of said v-shaped grooves in said central portion are open and further comprising a passageway extending part-way through said device connecting at one passage end with said open bottom of said v-shaped groove, a remaining end of said passage exiting from said device in said tail portion.

Claim 20

An atherectomy device from removing plaque from the interior of a lumen upon travel of the device therethrough, comprising: a. a rotatable head having nose, central and tail portions; i. said nose portion being bulbously outwardly curved and defining a forward head extremity for initial passage within said lumen; ii. said tail portion being separated from said nose portion by said central portion, said tail portion defining a rear extremity of said head as said head portion passes through said lumen; said tail portion being of rectangular transverse cross-section and tapering from a smaller maximum diameter section at juncture with said center portion to a larger maximum diameter at a rear extremity of said rotatable head; iii. said central portion transitionally tapering from and connecting said circular nose portion to said rectangular transverse cross-section tail portion, and central portion being of larger transverse cross-sectional area at juncture with said tail portion than at said juncture with said nose portion; b. said head having a plurality of longitudinally extending cutting grooves formed therein commencing proximate juncture of said nose and central portions and extending rearwardly therefrom; c. a passageway through said head has first aperture ends defined by open bottoms of at least some of said cutting grooves and terminates in a second aperture end opening onto a surface of said head rearwardly of terminus of said grooves including said first aperture ends.

Claim 21

An atherectomy device from removing plaque from the interior of a lumen upon travel of the device therethrough, comprising: a. a rotatable head having nose, central and tail portions; i. said nose portion being bulbously outwardly curved and defining a forward head extremity for initial passage within said lumen; ii. said tail portion being separated from said nose portion by said central portion, said tail portion defining a rear extremity of said head as said head portion passes through said lumen; said tail portion being of rectangular transverse cross-section and tapering from a smaller maximum diameter section at juncture with said center portion to a larger maximum diameter at a rear extremity of said rotatable head; iii. said central portion transitionally tapering from and connecting said circular nose portion to said rectangular transverse cross-section tail portion, and central portion being of larger transverse cross-sectional area at juncture with said tail portion than at said juncture with said nose portion; b. said head having a plurality of longitudinally extending cutting grooves formed therein commencing proximate juncture of said nose and central portions and extending rearwardly therefrom; c. a passageway through said head has first aperture ends defined by open bottoms of at least some of said cutting grooves and terminates in a second aperture end opening onto a surface of said head rearwardly of terminus of said grooves including said first aperture ends.