Lumend, Inc.

Devices for Vascular Intervention, Inc.

Diasonics, Inc.

Diasonic Inc.

Gerald L Hansen

Charles F Milo

Matthew R Selmon

E Richard Hill, Iii

Suresh Subraya Pai

Kent D Dell

Charles Gresl, Jr

Robert L Wynne

James W Pell

Alan R Selfridge

William H Stephens

Fred H Co

An intravascular catheter system for the treatment of occluded blood vessels that includes tissue displacement or hinged expansion members that are movable from a closed to an open position. An actuating assembly may be provided for moving the tissue expansion members between an open and closed position to exert a substantially lateral distal end force upon the region surrounding an occluded blood vessel. The tissue expansion members may stretch apart, tear or otherwise disrupt a vascular occlusion sufficiently to create a pathway that may support the passage or placement of a guidewire or an interventional vascular device across the occlusion or obstruction. Methods of crossing or displacing a vascular occlusion are further provided that include the positioning of a vascular catheter having at least one hinged spreading member positioned at the distal region of the catheter that is responsive to directed force along the longitudinal axis of the catheter. A directed force is applied to the actuator in order to deploy the spreading member and displace a vascular occlusion creating a path to permit the passage of a guidewire or device therethrough.

Methods and apparatus for treating vascular occlusions

Method and apparatus for treating vascular occlusions

An intravascular catheter system for the treatment of occluded blood vessels that includes tissue displacement or hinged expansion members that are movable from a closed to an open position. An actuating assembly may be, provided for moving the tissue expansion members between an open and closed position to exert a substantially lateral distal end force upon the region surrounding an occluded blood vessel. The tissue expansion members may stretch apart, tear or otherwise disrupt a vascular occlusion sufficiently to create a pathway that may support the passage or placement of a guidewire or an interventional vascular device across the occlusion or obstruction. Methods of crossing or displacing a vascular occlusion are further provided that include the positioning of a vascular catheter having at least one hinged spreading member positioned at the distal region of the catheter that is responsive to directed force along the longitudinal axis of the catheter. A directed force is applied to the actuator in order to deploy the spreading member and displace a vascular occlusion creating a path to permit the passage of a guidewire or device therethrough.

Apparatus for treating vascular occlusions

A catherer system and method are provided including a blunt end assembly with a catheter and a blunt end member. The blunt end member includes jaw sections which have a first position or closed position for locating the blunt end member at the site of the occlusion within the native lumen of the blood vessel and a second position or open position wherein the jaw sections are able to press against the interior walls of the lumen adjacent the occlusion. The assembly includes an actuation member for moving the jaw sections from the closed to the open positions repeatedly resulting in a fracturing of the occlusion. A guide wire may be thread through an internal opening in the catheter and the blunt end member and after fracturing, across the occlusion.

Catheter system for treating a vascular occlusion

Disclosed herein is an intravascular catheter system for crossing a severe or total arterial occlusion; particularly, a steerable intravascular catheter providing a working element and the optical guidance thereof in crossing an occlusion. Also disclosed is a method of crossing a severe or total arterial occlusion with a steerable catheter working element under optical guidance.

Method for treating vascular occlusion

An intravascular catheter system for crossing a severe or total arterial occlusion includes a steerable intravascular catheter providing a working element and an optical guidance system. The optical guidance system is realized by an optical member with may include an imaging shaft that is rotated and measured by a motor/encoder assembly or which may include an optical switching device connected to a plurality of optical fibers. The working element may include a plurality of opening members that are actuated by an external plunger.

Intravascular catheter system for treating a vascular occlusion

Disclosed herein is a blunt end assembly including a catheter and a blunt end member. The blunt end member includes jaw sections which have a first closed position for locating the blunt end member at the site of the occlusion within the native lumen of the blood vessel and a second open position wherein the jaw sections are able to press against the interior walls of the lumen adjacent the occlusion. The assembly includes an actuation member for moving the jaw sections from the closed to the open positions repeatedly resulting in a fracturing of the occlusion. A guide wire may be thread through an internal opening in the catheter and the blunt end member and after fracturing, across the occlusion.

Disclosed herein is manual actuator for retracting and advancing a therapeutic working element of an intravascular catheter system via an actuation shaft or one or more pulling wires. The manual actuator includes a hollow cylindrical bracing member having an open proximal end and a distal end, and a hollow cylindrical retracting member, the retracting member being slidable, in a telescoping fashion, into the open proximal end of the bracing member. An actuation shaft is secured near to the proximal end of the retracting member and the distal end of the actuation shaft is secured to the therapeutic working element. Alternatively, at least one pulling wire is secured proximal to the proximal end of the retracting member. The distal end of the pulling wire is secured to the therapeutic working element. At least one resilient connecting member has a proximal end attached proximate the proximal end of the retracting member, and a distal end attached proximate the distal end of the bracing member. When a manually applied external force is applied by the physician to the resilient connecting members, the resilient connecting members urge the retracting member in a proximal direction with respect to the bracing member, and retracting the actuation shaft to thereby operate the working element of the catheter system. Alternatively, the retracting member is urged in the proximal direction by the manually applied external force and the pulling wires transmit this force to the therapeutic working element.

Manual actuator for a catheter system for treating a vascular occlusion

An atherectomy catheter having ultrasound imaging capability provided by an acoustic transducer disposed within a catheter housing which includes a circular cutting edge for removal of stenotic tissue. Risk of induced emboli is reduced by arrangements of transducer and cutter maneuvering members which permit the cutting edge to remain shielded by the housing during catheter positioning and scanning. Both single and array transducers are employed in a variety of configurations.

Imaging atherectomy apparatus

Disclosed herein is a catheter apparatus which supports high resolution imaging of the interior of a biological conduit. The apparatus includes an imaging atherectomy catheter of the type having a cutter housing attached to the distal end of a catheter. A tissue cutting member and an ultrasonic imaging transducer are disposed within the housing and are secured to the distal end of a rotatable torque cable. An elongated aperture formed along one side of the housing allows ultrasonic imaging and the intrusion of stenotic material which is removed by axially rotating and translating the cutting member. A miniature rotary encoder is slidably coupled to the end of the torque cable within the housing for precisely determining the rotational orientation of the ultrasonic imaging transducer with respect to the elongated aperture. The rotary encoder is read optically via a fiber optical cable which extends through the catheter. Placement of the rotary encoder at the imaging transducer overcomes distortions resulting from instantaneous speed variations between the two ends of the torque cable. The accurate rotational information permits use of ultrasonic imaging transducers having resolution better than 100 microns without significant image distortion.

Optical encoder for catheter device

An acoustical lens for focusing ultrasonic energy having a transducer, a curved focussing lens and a voltage generator coupled with the transducer. The transducer is comprised of an array of piezoelectric crystal elements. The focussing lens has a concave upper surface and a planar bottom surface allowing the array of piezoelectric elements to be coupled to the bottom surface of the array. The piezoelectric elements receive voltage from the voltage generator and transmit an energy ray through the focussing lens producing a focussed energy beam.

Lens assembly for focusing energy

An acoustical lens for focusing ultrasonic energy having a transducer, a curved focussing lens and a voltage generator coupled with the transducer. The transducer is comprised of an array of piezoelectric crystal elements. The focussing lens has a concave upper surface and a planar bottom surface allowing the array of piezoelectric elements to be coupled to the bottomsurface of the array. The piezoelectric elements receive voltage from the voltage generator and transmit an energy ray through the focussing lens producing a focussed energy beam.

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Newark, CA, United States of America

Gerald L Hansen