Lake Region Manufacturing, Inc.

Raymedica, Inc.

Steven J Erb

Britt K Norton

Creg W Dance

An adjustable surgical dilator for dilating an opening formed in a bodily tissue structure, such as an anulus of a spinal disc. The dilator includes an outer tube and an inner rod. The outer tube includes a proximal section, a distal section and a central lumen extending from the proximal section to the distal section. The distal section terminates in a distal end and includes first and second arms each defining an inner surface and an outer surface. The arms combine to define a head tapering to the distal end. The head is configured to contact bodily tissue and has a variable cross-sectional outer dimension as defined by the outer surfaces of the arms. The inner rod is co-axially disposed within the central lumen and includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The distal portion extends from the proximal portion and forms a bearing surface for selectively engaging the inner surfaces of the first and second arms, respectively. With this engaging relationship, the inner rod, and in particular the bearing surface, controls the variable cross-sectional outer dimension of the head. With this configuration, the inner rod is axially movable relative to the outer tube for providing selective positioning of the bearing surface relative to the first and second arms, thereby dictating a desired outer dimension of the head.

Adjustable surgical dilator

A catheter for insertion in body vessels for removing occlusions or obstructions such as thrombus, clot, plaque and other vascular or arterial deposits without generating distal emboli. Removal of freshly or recently formed obstructions is a preferred application. Concurrently or subsequently, suction or aspiration removal of the resulting occlusion debris is disclosed. A catheter system of this invention comprises elongate, hollow, inner and outer coaxial catheters having distal and proximal ends. The distal end of the outer catheter terminates short of the distal end of the inner catheter. The catheters may be independently movable with respect to each other. The inner catheter wall defines a central lumen which fluidically couples the proximal and distal ends of the inner catheter and through which a guidewire can pass. The central lumen has a reduced diameter distal portion which, with an occluder means (e.g., a guidewire), is adapted to restrict distal fluid delivery therethrough. The distal end of the inner catheter is fluidically coupled to a diffusion manifold which includes a plurality of fluid diffusion orifices. Located between the diffusion manifold and the distal end of the outer catheter is a diffuser, The diffuser, which may be fixedly or rotatively mounted, is located so that fluid exiting from the diffusion orifices impinges thereon and is dispersed toward the occlusion.

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Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Steven J Erb