text:
Rotational atherectomy device
An elongate tubular body extends between a rotatable cutter and a control. The cutter is connected to the control with a rotatable element. A vacuum is applied through an annular passage defined between the tubular body and the rotatable element. The control has an indicator that reveals resistance to rotation and/or reduction in flow. Material that has been processed by the cutter is aspirated through the tubular body for disposal. The control enables rotation of the rotatable element only following application of a predetermined level of vacuum.
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This application is a division of prior application Ser. No. 09/260,199, filed on Mar. 1, 1999, which now U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,898 a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/058,513 filed on Apr. 10, 1998, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,112 on Dec. 14, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,898.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to medical devices and, more particularly, to atherectomy catheter devices.
A variety of techniques and instruments have been developed to remove obstructive material in arteries or other body passageways or to repair the arteries or body passageways. A frequent objective of such techniques and instruments is the removal of atherosclerotic plaques in a patient's arteries. The buildup of fatty deposits (atheromas) in the intimal layer (under the endothelium of a patient's blood vessels) characterizes atherosclerosis. Over time, what is initially deposited as relatively soft, cholesterol-rich atheromatous material often hardens into a calcified atherosclerotic plaque. The atheromas may be referred to as stenotic lesions or stenoses while the blocking material may be referred to as stenotic material. If left untreated, such stenoses can so sufficiently reduce perfusion that angina, hypertension, myocardial infarction, strokes and the like may result.
Several kinds of atherectomy devices have been developed for attempting to remove some or all of such stenotic material. In one type of device, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,873 (Simpson), a cylindrical housing, carried at the distal end of a catheter, has a portion of its side-wall cut out to form a window into which the atherosclerotic plaque can protrude when the device is positioned next to the plaque. An atherectomy blade, disposed within the housing, is then advanced the length of the housing to lance the portion of the atherosclerotic plaque that extends into the housing cavity. While such devices provide for directional control in selection of tissue to be excised, the length of the portion excised at each pass of the atherectomy blade is necessarily limited to the length of the cavity in the device. The length and relative rigidity of the housing limits the maneuverability and therefore also limits the utility of the device in narrow and tortuous arteries such as coronary arteries. Such devices are also generally limited to lateral cutting relative to the longitudinal axis of the device.
Another approach, which solves some of the problems relating to removal of atherosclerotic plaque in narrow and tortuous passageways, involves the use of an abrading device carried at the distal end of a flexible drive shaft. Examples of such devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,134 (Auth) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,438 (Shturman). In the Auth device, abrasive material such as diamond grit (diamond particles or dust) is deposited on a rotating burr carried at the distal end of a flexible drive shaft. In the Shturman device, a thin layer of abrasive particles is bonded directly to the wire turns of an enlarged diameter segment of the drive shaft. The abrading device in such systems is rotated at speeds up to 200,000 rpm or more, which, depending on the diameter of the abrading device utilized, can provide surface speeds of the abrasive particles in the range of 40 ft/sec. According to Auth, at surface speeds below 40 ft/sec his abrasive burr will remove hardened atherosclerotic materials but will not damage normal elastic soft tissue of the vessel wall. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,134 at col. 3, lines 20–23.
However, not all atherosclerotic plaques are hardened, calcified atherosclerotic plaques. Moreover, the mechanical properties of soft plaques are very often quite close to the mechanical properties of the soft tissue of the vessel wall. Thus, one cannot always rely entirely on the differential cutting properties of such abrasives to remove atherosclerotic material from an arterial wall, particularly where one is attempting to remove all or almost all of the atherosclerotic material.
Moreover, a majority of atherosclerotic lesions are asymmetrical (i.e., the atherosclerotic plaque is thicker on one side of the artery than on the other). As will be understood, the stenotic material will be entirely removed on the thinner side of an eccentric lesion before it will be removed on the thicker side of the lesion. Accordingly, during removal of the remaining thicker portion of the atherosclerotic plaque, the abrasive burr of the Auth device or the abrasive-coated enlarged diameter segment of the drive shaft of the Shturman device will necessarily engage healthy tissue on the side that has been cleared. Indeed, lateral pressure by such healthy tissue against the abrading device is inherently required to keep the abrading device in contact with the remaining stenotic tissue on the opposite wall of the passageway. For stenotic lesions that are entirely on one side of an artery (a relatively frequent condition), the healthy tissue across from the stenotic lesion will be exposed to and in contact with the abrading device for substantially the entire procedure. Moreover, pressure from that healthy tissue against the abrading device will be, in fact, the only pressure urging the abrading device against the atherosclerotic plaque. Under these conditions, a certain amount of damage to the healthy tissue is almost unavoidable, even though undesirable, and there is a clear risk of perforation or proliferative healing response. In some cases, the "healthy tissue" across from a stenotic lesion may be somewhat hardened by the interaction (i.e., it has diminished elasticity); under such circumstances, the differential cutting phenomenon described by Auth will also be diminished, resulting in a risk that this "healthy" tissue may also be removed, potentially causing perforation.
Thus, notwithstanding the foregoing and other efforts to design a rotational atherectomy device, there remains a need for such a device that can advance through soft atheromas while providing minimal risk to the surrounding vessel wall. Preferably, the device also minimizes the risk of dislodging emboli, and provides the clinician with real-time feedback concerning the progress of the procedure.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a rotational medical device is provided having an elongate flexible tubular body. The tubular body has a proximal end and a distal end. A rotatable element extends substantially throughout the length of the tubular body. A rotatable cutter is connected to the distal end of the rotatable element. At the proximal end of the tubular body, a control may be provided, having an indicator that indicates resistance to rotation of either the cutter tip or the rotatable element. Preferably, the tubular body is provided with a vacuum coupling to permit aspiration of material dislodged by the cutter tip. An indicator may be provided to indicate obstruction of or undesirably high resistance to flow in the aspiration pathway.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of removing material from a vessel is provided. The first step of the method is providing an elongate flexible tubular body attached to a control at its proximal end and having a rotatable cutter disposed at its distal end. The distal end of the elongate body is then advanced transluminally through the vessel to the material to be removed. The rotatable cutter is rotated, and portions of the material to be removed are drawn by application of a vacuum and/or operation of the cutter proximally past the rotatable cutter and into the tubular body. Feedback may be provided to the operator in response to changes in the aspiration flow, vacuum and/or load on the rotatable cutter.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a rotatable cutter for use in an elongate flexible tubular catheter is provided for removing material from a vessel. The cutter has a cutter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and a longitudinal axis of rotation extending between the two ends. A generally helical thread is provided on at least a distal portion of the cutter shaft. Also, at least one radially outwardly extending shearing flange is provided on a proximal portion of the cutter shaft.
A rotational medical device having an elongate flexible tubular body, such as a catheter, is provided in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. The tubular body has a proximal end and a distal end. A rotatable element is contained within the flexible tubular body, either in sliding contact with or spaced radially inwardly from the tubular body. Preferably, an aspiration lumen is defined by the space between the interior surface of a wall of the tubular body and the exterior surface of the rotatable element. A rotatable cutter is connected to the rotatable element at the distal end of the tubular body. The present invention also provides a control at the proximal end of the tubular body. The tubular body has a first cross-sectional area and the aspiration lumen has a second cross-sectional area wherein the cross-sectional area of the aspiration lumen is at least about 30% and preferably is as much as 50% or more of the cross-sectional area of the tubular body Preferably, a guidewire lumen extends throughout the length of the tubular body, or through at least a distal portion of the tubular body The catheter may be used with either a conventional closed tip guidewire, or with a hollow guidewire having a distal opening thereon such as for infusion of therapeutic drugs, contrast media or other infusible material.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of removing material from a patient is provided. An elongate flexible tubular body, having a proximal end and a distal end, is provided. A rotatable tip is disposed at the distal end of the tubular body and a control is attached to the proximal end of the tubular body. The distal end of the tubular body is advanced to the location of the material to be removed. The control is manipulated to activate an aspirating vacuum through the tubular body. Then the control is manipulated to commence a rotation of the cutter to remove the material from the patient.
With reference initially to
With reference now to the partially sectioned view of
The diameter of the guidewire 28 is preferably in the range of about 0.010 inch to about 0.020 inch. The lengths of the guidewire 28 and the tubular body 12 may be varied to correspond to a distance between a percutaneous access site and a lesion being treated. For example, the guidewire 28 and the tubular body 12 should be long enough to allow the cutter 22 of the present surgical instrument 10 to track along the guidewire 28 and reach a target occlusion while also allowing a proximal portion of the guidewire 28 to remain exterior to the patient for manipulation by the clinician (not shown). In an application for removing coronary artery atheroma by way of a femoral artery access, guidewires having lengths from about 120 cm to about 160 cm may be used, and the length of the tubular body 12 may range between about 50 cm and about 150 cm, as will be understood by those of skill in art. For other applications, such as peripheral vascular procedures including recanalization of implanted vascular grafts, the length of the guidewire 28 and the tubular body 12 may depend upon the location of the graft or other treatment site relative to the percutaneous or surgical access site. Suitable guidewires for coronary artery applications include those manufactured by Guidant or Cordis.
With reference now to
With continued reference to
The end cap 38 may also have a centrally located aperture 39. The aperture 39, if present, preferably has a diameter of between about 0.013 inch and about 0.025 inch. In one embodiment, the aperture 39 has a diameter of approximately 0.022 inch. Desirably, the aperture 39 may accommodate a guidewire 28 or allow fluids to flow therethrough. As will be appreciated, the cutter 22 may have a machined or otherwise integrally formed radially inwardly extending annular flange 41 (see
With reference now to
As will be recognized by those of skill in the art, safety straps, redundant glue joints, crimping, and swaging are commonly used to create redundant failure protection for catheter cutter tips. The advantageous structure of the present connector portion 40 retains the cutter tip 22 within the cutter housing 21 and may reduce the need for such multiple redundancies. As will be described, the connector portion 40 may take various forms.
In embodiments similar to the one illustrated in
Although two opposing flanges 42 are illustrated in
The illustrated connector portion 40 has an outside diameter taken about the opposing flanges 42 of approximately 0.071 inch. Generally, the outside diameter may range from about 0.057 inch to about 0.096 inch in a device intended for coronary artery applications. The thickness of the flanges 42 in the axial direction (i.e., the dimension normal to the increase in diameter resulting from the flanges) is about 0.010 inch but may range from about 0.004 inch to about 0.025 inch. In general, an outside diameter defined about the flanges 42 may be selected to cooperate with the inside diameter of an annular retaining race or groove 54 in the housing 21, discussed below, to axially retain the cutter 22 while permitting rotation of the cutter 22 relative to the housing 21. The thickness of the flanges 42 and the axial width of the retaining groove 54 also are generally designed to either allow axial movement of the cutter 22 within the housing 21 or to limit or eliminate substantial axial movement of the cutter 22 within the housing 21, as is discussed below.
With continued reference to now
Desirably, the cutter 22, and especially the portion containing the slots 44, is made of a material having an adequate spring constant as will be understood by those of skill in the art. In one embodiment, the cutter 22 is made from a medical grade stainless steel alloy. The chosen material preferably has characteristics including the ability to allow the cantilevered spring arm 43 to deflect radially inwardly an adequate distance over the length of the arm 43 without exceeding the elastic limit of the material (i.e., the deflection is an elastic deformation). As is known, elastic deformations allow structures to deflect and substantially return to their initial shape or position. For instance, special hardening methods may be used to maintain the elasticity of the selected material in the deflection range necessary for a specific application.
With reference now to
With reference now to
In one embodiment having a cutter housing 21 with an inside diameter of about 0.0685 inch, the major diameter of the thread 46 is approximately 0.0681 inch. However, the major diameter of the present thread 46 may range from about 0.050 inch to about 0.130 inch or otherwise, depending upon both the inner diameter of the cutter housing and the intended clinical application. The thread 46 of the foregoing embodiment has a pitch of approximately 0.0304 inch and is desirably helical. The pitch may range from about 0.005 inch to about 0.060 inch, and may be constant or variable along the axial length of the cutter 22. The thickness of the present thread 46 in the axial direction is approximately 0.008 inch; however, the thickness may range from about 0.003 to about 0.05, and may be constant or variable along the length of the thread 46. Thus, it is anticipated that the cutters 22 may also have a generally spiral helix thread.
In some of the illustrated embodiments, the thread 46 extends approximately two complete revolutions around the cylindrical body 30. The thread 46 may be a continuous radially outwardly extending ridge as illustrated, or may comprise a plurality of radially outstanding blades or projections preferably arranged in a helical pattern. The thread 46 may extend as little as about one-half to one full revolution around the cutter body 30, or may extend as many as 2½ or 3 or more full revolutions around the circumference of the body 30, as is discussed more below. Optimization of the length of the thread 46 may be accomplished through routine experimentation in view of the desired clinical objectives, including the desired maneuverability (i.e., tractability through tortuous anatomy) and the length of the cutter 22, as well as the nature of the cutting and/or aspiration action to be accomplished or facilitated by the cutter 22. In addition, while the present cutter 22 is illustrated and described as having a single thread, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the cutter 22 may also have multiple threads, a discontinuous thread or no threads.
Referring now to
As discussed directly above, the pitch of the thread 46 may also be varied along the axial length of the cutter body 30. Varying the pitch allows a modified function at different points along the axial length of the cutter 22, such as a greater axial thread spacing at the distal end 36 of the cutter 22 to engage material and a relatively closer axial spacing of the threads at the proximal end 34 of the cutter 22 for processing the material. In general, the pitch may range from about 0.010 inch at the distal end to about 0.080 inch at the proximal end. In one embodiment, the pitch at the distal end 36 is approximately 0.034, the pitch at the proximal end 34 is approximately 0.054, and the pitch varies continuously therebetween. The maximum and minimum pitch, together with the rate of change of the pitch between the proximal end 34 and the distal end 36 can be optimized through routine experimentation by those of skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein.
With reference to
With reference to
It may be desirable in some embodiments to provide an annular space between the outside diameter of the thread 46 and the inside diameter of the cutter housing 21. By spacing the thread 46 apart from the inside wall of the central lumen 20, an annular space is provided for material to pass through the cutter housing 21 without being severed by the thread 46 of the cutter tip 22. This may be utilized in conjunction with vacuum, discussed below, to aspirate material into the atherectomy device without the necessity of complete cutting by the thread 46 or flanges 42. This may be advantageous if the rate of material removal effected by aspiration is higher than the rate at which material removal may occur with the thread 46 engaging such material. In addition, the rotational atherectomy device 10 may more readily aspirate certain lesion morphologies, such as those including portions of calcified plaque, if the thread 46 is not required to cut all the way through the aspirated material. In general, the desired radial distance between the thread 46 and the inside wall of the cutter housing 21 will be between about 0.0001 inch and about 0.008 inch, to be optimized in view of the desired performance characteristics of the particular embodiment. In an embodiment intended solely to aspirate soft atheromas, the cutting function of the thread 46, or the thread 46 itself, may be deleted entirely, so that cutting occurs by the flanges or cutting blocks 42 and/or stationary members (not shown) in cooperation with the aspiration provided by a vacuum source.
Interventions for which an atraumatic distal tip is desired, such as, for example but without limitation, saphenous vein graphs, can be well served by an atraumatically tipped cutter 22, as illustrated in
The outside diameter of the tip 23 may range from the outside diameter of the cutter body 30 to the outside diameter of the cutter housing 21. Diameters greater than the housing 21 may also be used, but diameters smaller than the housing 21 facilitate a smaller crossing profile of the instrument 10. The axial length of the tip 23 may be varied to suit the intended application, but will generally be within the range of from about 0.050 inch to about 0.100 inch in a coronary artery application.
The outside surface of tip 23 may be provided with surface texturing or treatments. As will be recognized by those of skill in the art, the surface texturing or treatments may be formed by abrasive coating (i.e., coating the tip with diamond particles), acid etching or any other suitable method. The texture or treatments may be on the distal surface or the lateral surfaces or both such that a two-stage interaction with the encountered materials may occur. Thus, the tip can be used for grinding or otherwise remodeling the encountered materials. For example, an abrasive distal surface can be used to cut through calcified plaque, while a smooth radial surface can compress soft material against the vessel wall to facilitate acceptance into the helical thread 46 of the cutter 22. Varying the distance between the distal end 47 of the thread 46 and the proximal end of the tip 23, as well as varying its geometry, can allow adjustments to the cutter aggressiveness. For instance, the thread 46 may extend up to the proximal edge of the tip 23 and allow early engagement of the encountered materials relative to a cutter 22 having a length of unthreaded shaft between the proximal edge of the tip 23 and the distal end 47 of the thread 46.
The tip 23 can be integrally formed with the cutter tip 22, such as by machining techniques known in the art. Alternatively, it can be separately formed and secured thereto, such as by soldering, adhesives, mechanical interference fit, threaded engagement and the like. The tip can be machined from a suitable metal or molded or otherwise formed from a suitable polymeric material such as polyethylene, nylon, PTFE or others known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In many interventions, it is desirable to have the cutter 22 floating axially within the housing 21.
The housing 21 may conveniently be assembled from two pieces, to entrap the cutter 22 therein. The two pieces are then laser-welded or otherwise secured together. In one embodiment, the housing 21 may be split longitudinally, the cutter 22 inserted, and the two pieces may then be secured together. In another presently preferred embodiment, the two pieces may split the housing 21 into a distal component and a proximal component (see
Desirably the cutter 22 is positively retained in the cutter housing 21 for rotation, as discussed directly above. With reference again to
In a specific coronary artery embodiment, the internal diameter of the distal portion 52 of the cutter housing 21 is approximately 0.0689 inch and may range from about 0.050 inch to about 0.150 inch. The proximal end 50 of the present cutter housing 21 preferably has an internal diameter of approximately 0.0558 inch. The internal diameter 50 of the proximal end of the present cutter housing 21 may range from about 0.035 inch to about 0.130 inch. At its distal end 52, the cutter housing 21 may be provided with a radially inwardly extending retaining lip, such as flange 41 in
The exterior diameter of the distal end 52 of the cutter housing 21 in one embodiment is approximately 0.0790 inch; however, the distal exterior diameter may range from about 0.039 inch to about 0.150 inch depending upon cutter design and the intended clinical application. The distal portion 52 of the cutter housing 21 in the illustrated embodiment is about 0.117 inch in length but the length may vary from about 0.020 inch to about 0.50 inch. In the embodiment illustrated in
In general, the cutter housing 21 may be integrally formed or separately formed and secured to the distal end 16 of the tubular body 12 in accordance with any of a variety of techniques which will be known to those of skill in the art. The concentric overlapping joint illustrated in
With reference again to
The retaining race 54 cooperates with the flanges 42 of the present cutter 22 to retain the cutter 22 within the cutter housing 21 as described in detail above. The flanges 42 provide a bearing surface for the cutter 22 to facilitate rotational movement of the cutter 22 relative to the housing 21. In addition, where the axial dimensions of the flanges 42 and the race 54 are approximately the same, the cutter 22 may be substantially restrained from axial movement within the cutter housing 21. As will be appreciated, the race 54 may be larger in axial width relative to the thickness of the flanges 42 to allow axial movement of the cutter 22 within the cutter housing 21 or even into the tubular body 12 as discussed above.
With continued reference to
Another cutter 60 and associated cutter housing 70 are illustrated in
The cutter 60 is preferably symmetrical about the rotational axis having a body 61 with an annular retention structure, such as a retaining race 62, located near the body's proximal end 64. The retaining race 62, or connector portion, in the illustrated embodiment is about 0.007 inch deep, and about 0.008 inch wide, although both dimensions can be varied as may be desired and still achieve the desired retention function, as will be readily recognized by one with skill in the art. Proximal to the retaining race 62, the outside diameter of the body 61 is rounded or tapers from about 0.04 inch to about 0.036 inch. Preferably, all edges are broken, chamfered or otherwise rounded to ensure burr free and dull corners and to facilitate assembly. The cutter 60 may also have a thread 66 similar to that described above.
The cutter 60 is preferably snap fit into the cutter housing 70 by inserting the cutter 60 into the distal end 74 of the cutter housing 70. The cutter housing 70 is preferably similar to that described above with the exception that the retaining race 54 of the first housing is replaced by a set of inwardly extending radial retaining members 72. With reference to
As with the arms 43 above, the retaining members 72 are sized and configured to allow deflection within the elastic range such that the retaining members 72 may be deflected and inserted into the race 62 as discussed below. Again, this snap fit configuration advantageously enables the cutter 60 to be retained in the cutter housing 70 even if the cutter 60 separates from the driving element (not illustrated).
As introduced directly above, the retaining members 72 may serve the added function of stationary cutting members. As such the retaining members 72 may be sized accordingly. The illustrated retaining members 72 are about 0.007 inch thick in the axial direction; however, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the thickness can range from about 0.003 inch to about 0.030 inch or otherwise depending upon material choice and the desired degree of axial restraint. The retaining members 72 extend about 0.007 inch inward from the interior wall of the cylindrical cutter housing 70. The retaining member 72 length can vary, however, depending upon the desired dimensions of the cutter housing 70 and the cutter 60. As shown in
As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the retaining members 72 are provided to engage within the retaining race 62 of the cutter 60. The retaining members 72 and the race 62 may be sized and configured such that the cutter 60 is either substantially restrained from axial movement relative to the cutter housing 70 or some axial travel is allowed between the two components. The retaining members 72 may also provide a bearing surface for the rotational movement of the cutter 60 relative to the cutter housing 70. For instance, the race 62 of the cutter 60 desirably rides on the ends of the retaining members 72 such that the retaining members 72 provide bearing surfaces at their inner most edges and allow the cutter 60 to be rotated relative to the housing 70. Similar to the assembly described above, the distal end 65 of the cutter 60 may be approximately flush with the distal end 74 of the cutter housing 70. Alternatively, the distal end 65 of the cutter 60 may extend distally from or may be slightly recessed within the distal end 74 of the cutter housing 70 by as much or more than is shown in
With reference again to
In any of the embodiments described herein, the cutter 22 and the cutter housing 21 may be designed so that the cutter 22 may be positioned within the cutter housing 21 in a manner that allows axial movement of the cutter 22 relative to the cutter housing 21. Controllable axial movement of the cutter 22 may be accomplished in a variety of ways, to achieve various desired clinical objectives. For example, in either of the embodiments illustrated in
In general, relatively minor degrees of axial movement, such as on the order of about one or two millimeters or less may be desirable to help reduce the incidence of clogging and also reduce trauma, such as by the distal cutting tip pressing against a vessel wall. Minor axial movability can also help compensate for differential elongation or compression between the tubular body 12 and the drive shaft 24.
A greater degree of axial movability may be desirable in embodiments in which the cutter 22 may be controllably extended partially beyond the housing 21 such as to improve engagement with hard obstructive material. Retraction of the cutter 22 within the cutter housing 21 may be desirable during insertion of the device 10, to minimize trauma to the vascular intima during positioning of the device 10. The cutter 22 may thereafter be advanced distally on the order of 1 to 3 or 5 millimeters beyond the distal end 52 of the housing 21, such as to engage obstructive material to be drawn into the cutter housing 21.
More significant proximal retraction of the cutter 22 within the housing 21, such as on the order of 5 to 20 centimeters from the distal end 52, may be advantageous during positioning of the atherectomy catheter. As is understood in the art, one of the limitations on positioning of a transluminal medical device within tortuous vascular anatomy, particularly such as that which might be encountered in the heart and intracranial space, is the lateral flexibility of the distal portion of the device. Even if the outside diameter or crossing profile of the device is small enough to reach the stenotic region, the device still must have sufficient pushability and sufficient lateral flexibility to navigate the tortuous anatomy.
In the context of rotational atherectomy catheters, the rotatable drive shaft 24, as well as the cutter 22, can significantly increase the rigidity of the catheter. In accordance with the present invention, the drive shaft 24 and the cutter 22 may be proximally withdrawn within the tubular housing 12 to provide a relatively highly flexible distal catheter section that is capable of tracking a guidewire 28 through tortuous vascular anatomy. Once the outer tubular housing 12 of the atherectomy catheter has been advanced to the treatment site, the cutter 22 and the drive shaft 24 may be distally advanced through the tubular body 12 and into position at the distal end 16. In this manner, the rotational atherectomy catheter can be positioned at anatomical locations that are not reachable if the drive shaft 28 and housing 21 at the distal end 16 of the tubular body 12 are advanced as a single unit.
In general, the cutter 22 is preferably proximally retractable from the distal end 52 of the cutter housing 21 by a distance sufficient to permit the outer tubular body 12 and cutter housing 21 to be positioned at the desired treatment site. In the context of coronary artery disease, the distance between the distal end 52 of the cutter housing 21 and the retracted cutter 22 is generally be within the range of from about 5 cm to about 30 cm and preferably at least about 10 cm. Proximal retraction of the cutter 22 over distances on that order will normally be sufficient for most coronary artery applications.
The flexible drive shaft 24 is preferably a hollow, laminated flexible "torque tube" such as may be fabricated from an inner thin-wall polymeric tubing, an intermediate layer of braided or woven wire, and an outer polymeric layer. In one embodiment, the torque tube comprises a polyimide tube having a wall thickness of about 0.004 inch, with a layer of braided 0.0015 inch stainless steel wire embedded therein. The laminated construction advantageously produces a tube with a very high torsional stiffness and sufficient tensile strength, but which is generally laterally flexible. However, depending upon the desired torque transmission, diameter and flexibility, any of a variety of other materials and constructions may also be used. In general, the drive shaft 24 should have sufficient torsional rigidity to drive the cutter 22 through reasonably foreseeable blockages. It is also recognized that in some applications, the drive shaft 24 may be a wire or other solid construction such that no inner lumen 26 extends therethrough.
The outside diameter of one embodiment of the present hollow flexible drive shaft 24 is approximately 0.032 inch, but may range between about 0.020 inch and about 0.034 inch or more. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the diameter of the flexible drive shaft 24 may be limited by a minimum torsional strength and a guidewire diameter, if a guidewire 28 is present, at the low end, and maximum permissible catheter outside diameter at the high end.
The selection of a hollow drive shaft 24 allows the device 10 to be advanced over a conventional spring-tipped guidewire 28, and preferably still leaves room for saline solution, drugs or contrast media to flow through the lumen 26 of the drive shaft 24 and out of the distal opening 39 on the cutter 22. The internal diameter of the present hollow flexible drive shaft 24 is thus partially dependent upon the diameter of the guidewire 28 over which the flexible drive shaft 24 must track. For example, the internal diameter of the guidewire lumen 26 in one embodiment of the present hollow flexible drive shaft 24, intended for use with a 0.018 inch diameter guidewire, is approximately 0.024 inch. Because the flexible drive shaft 24 preferably extends between the control 18 and the cutter 22, the length of the present hollow flexible drive shaft 24 should be sufficient to allow the cutter assembly to reach the target location while also allowing adequate length outside of the patient for the clinician to manipulate the instrument 10.
With reference again to
In general, the cross-sectional area of the lumen 20 is preferably maximized as a percentage of the outside diameter of the tubular body 12. This permits an optimization of lumen cross-sectional area which maintains a minimal outside diameter for tubular body 12, while at the same time permitting an acceptable flow rate of material through the aspiration lumen 20, with minimal likelihood of clogging or binding which would interrupt the procedure. Cross-sectional area of the aspiration lumen 20 thus may be optimized if the drive tube 24 is constructed to have relatively high torque transmission per unit wall thickness such as in the constructions described above. In one embodiment of the invention, intended for coronary artery applications, the outside diameter of tubular body 12 is about 0.080 inch, the wall thickness of tubular body 12 is about 0.008 inch, and the outside diameter of the drive shaft 24 is about 0.031 inch. Such a construction produces a cross-sectional area of the available aspiration portion of central lumen 20 of about 0.00245 square inch. This is approximately 50% of the total cross-sectional area of the tubular body 12. Preferably, the cross-sectional area of the lumen 20 is at least about 25%, more preferably at least about 40%, and optimally at least about 60% of the total cross-sectional area of the tubular body 12.
The tubular body 12 may comprise any of a variety of constructions, such as a multi-layer torque tube. Alternatively, any of a variety of conventional catheter shaft materials such as stainless steel, or single layer polymeric extrusions of polyethylenes, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon and others well known in the art can be used. In one embodiment, for example, the tubular body 12 is a PEBAX extrusion having an outside diameter of approximately 0.090 inch. However, the outer diameter can vary between about 0.056 inch for coronary vascular applications and about 0.150 inch for peripheral vascular applications. Also, because the tubular body 12 must resist collapse under reasonably anticipated vacuum forces, the foregoing tubular body 12 desirably has a wall thickness of at least about 0.005 inch. The wall thickness can, however, be varied s depending upon materials and design.
The distal end of the tubular body 12 may be affixed to the proximal end 50 of the cutter housing 21 as shown in
With reference to
Respectively, the flexible drive shaft 24 and the tubular body 12 operatively connect the cutter 22 and the cutter housing 21 to the control 18 of the illustrated embodiment. With continued reference to
The tubular body 12 may be reinforced internally where it passes through the hub 84, such as by a thin-wall stainless steel tube (not shown) that extends through and is bonded to the hub 84. In general, a good rotational coupling is desired between the tubular body 12 and the hub. In one embodiment, a portion of the hub bore may be hexagonal shaped, or formed in any other non-circular shape which corresponds to a complementary shape on the tube to enhance the rotational connection between the hub bore and the tube (not shown). Epoxy or other adhesives (not shown) may also be injected into a space around the stainless steel tube to help prevent the stainless steel tube (not shown) from rotating relative to the hub 84. The adhesive also advantageously secures the two components such that the tube (not shown) is less likely to axially pull out of the hub 84.
With continued reference to
The vacuum manifold 86 may be connected to the motor 90 through use of a threaded motor face plate 100. The vacuum manifold 86 is preferably threaded onto the face plate 100 but may be connected in any suitable manner. The face plate 100 may be attached to the output end of the motor 90 by a threaded fastener 102. The presently preferred motor 90 is a modified 6-volt direct-current hollow-shaft, 22 mm outside diameter motor built by MicroMo.
In the illustrated embodiment, power is transmitted from the motor 90 to the flexible drive shaft 24 by a length of medium-wall stainless steel tubing that is preferably adhesively-bonded to the drive shaft 24. The tubing forms a transfer shaft 107 and is preferably coated on the outer surface with approximately 0.001 inch of Type-S Teflon. The Teflon-coated, exposed ends of the rigid drive shaft, or transfer shaft 107, provide a smooth wear-surface for the dynamic fluid seals discussed above. The transfer shaft tubing may be hypodermic needle stock measuring approximately 0.036 inch inside diameter by 0.053 inch outside diameter, before coating. The transfer shaft 107 desirably is slip fit through the approximately 0.058 inch inside diameter of the hollow motor shaft, and desirably extends beyond the length of the motor shaft in both directions. The slip fit advantageously accommodates axial sliding movement of the transfer shaft 107 relative to the motor 90 and the balance of the instrument 10. Thus, axial movability may be accommodated.
The drive shaft 24 is advantageously capable of axial movement relative to the motor 90 as described above. Controlled axial movement of the drive shaft 24, and ultimately the cutter 22 and its connected components, is desirable regardless of the mechanical connection allowing such movement. The movement allows the cutter 22 and, in some embodiments, the drive shaft 24 to be withdrawn proximally during placement of the catheter sheath, or tubular body 12, in the vasculature. Following positioning, the cutter 22 may then be advanced forward into a cutting position. Such a configuration allows increased maneuverability and flexibility during positioning and easier tracking through the vasculature. This configuration also allows for easier sterilization of the outer tubular body 12 in a compact coiled package. However, as will be recognized by those of skill in the art, such relative axial movement of the cutter 22 and the tubular body 12 is not necessary for utilization of various other aspects and advantages of the current invention.
A small drive plate 103, bonded to the rear end of the transfer shaft 107, advantageously couples with a drive sleeve 105 that is attached to the approximately 0.078 inch outside diameter motor shaft 92. The drive plate 103 may be any of a number of geometric configurations. Preferably, the drive plate 103 is a rotationally symmetrical shape having a central aperture although other configurations may also be used. The symmetry facilitates rotational balancing. In one embodiment, the drive plate 103 is square with a central aperture, triangular with a central aperture, or circular with a central aperture, with a connecting member to tie the drive plate to the drive sleeve with a reduced likelihood of slippage. Together, the drive plate 103 and the drive sleeve 105 form a concentric drive coupling, similar to a spline connection, between the motor shaft 92 and the transfer shaft 107.
The transfer shaft 107, in turn, may be connected to the flexible drive shaft 24. The concentric drive coupler configuration preferably allows approximately 0.25 inch of relative longitudinal movement between the drive plate 103 and the drive sleeve 105, which is sufficient to accommodate thermal and mechanical changes in the relative lengths of the outer tube 12 and flexible drive tube 24. An integral flange on the drive plate 103 or the drive sleeve 105 may serve as a shield to deflect fluid away from the rear motor bearings in the event of a leaking fluid seal. Thus, the drive sleeve 105 is preferably a solid walled annular flange which acts as a tubular deflection as will be understood by those of skill in the art.
The drive sleeve 105 and the drive plate 103 are preferably molded from Plexiglas-DR, a medical-grade, toughened acrylic resin made by Rohm and Haas. These parts have shown little tendency to crack in the presence of the chemicals that might be present or used in the assembly of the device; these chemicals include cyanoacrylate adhesives and accelerators, motor bearing lubricants, alcohol, epoxies, etc. The drive sleeve 105 and the drive plate 103 are also preferably lightly press-fitted to their respective shafts 92, 107, and secured with a fillet of adhesive applied to the outside of the joints.
With continued reference to
At various times during a procedure, the clinician may request that a bolus of contrast medium be injected into the instrument 10 to enhance a fluoroscopic image of the artery or vein, either to position or to direct the guidewire 28, to locate a blockage, or to confirm that a stenosis has indeed been reduced. Contrast medium is a relatively dense material and high pressure (usually several atmospheres) is usually required to force the material quickly through the small, elongated lumen 26 of the drive tube 24. Such a medium may be infused using an infusion pump, for instance.
In the case of the illustrated surgical instrument 10, the infusion manifold 108 may be comprised of several components. The first component may be an infusion port that may contain a medical infusion valve 109, such as that supplied by Halkey-Roberts Corp. This silicone rubber check valve assembly 109 is preferably designed to be opened by insertion of a male Luer-taper (or lock) fitting. The valve 109 more preferably stays open as long as the taper fitting remains in place, but desirably closes immediately if it is withdrawn. This action provides simple access when needed, but provides the required backflow protection to minimize loss of blood through this route.
The infusion valve 109 is preferably permanently bonded into a side arm of a flush port manifold 111, an injection-molded, transparent acrylic fitting. The flush port manifold 111 desirably has an integral threaded extension that may protrude from the proximal side of the control 18. The threaded extension may be provided with a silicone guidewire seal 113, and an acetyl (Delrin) guidewire clamp nut 112 that together function as a hemostasis valve compression-fitting. Delrin may be used for the clamp nut 112 to minimize stiction and galling of the threads during use. Note that the materials indicated for the compression-fitting may be varied as will be recognized by those of skill in the art. An internal shoulder on the threaded portion of the nut 112 advantageously acts as a position stop, preventing extrusion of the seal 113 that might otherwise result from over-tightening. The guidewire 28 desirably extends through both the seal 113 and the nut 112.
When the clamp nut 112 is tightened, the guidewire seal 113 may compress against the guidewire 28 to lock it in place and to prevent leakage of blood or air through the seal 113. When it is necessary to slide the guidewire 28, or to slide the surgical instrument 10 along the guidewire 28, the clamp nut 112 is first loosened to reduce the clamping action somewhat and the relative movement is then initiated. If no guidewire 28 is used, the seal 113 may compress against itself and close off the passageways to reduce or prevent leakage.
A fluid channel advantageously extends through the flush port manifold 111, continuing through the open lumen of the drive tube 24, through a distal aperture 39 in the distal extremity of the cutter 22. The guidewire 28 preferably follows the same path. A leak-proof connection between the flush port manifold 111 and the drive tube 24 is therefore desirable.
Accordingly, a flush port flange 106 may be bonded to the motor end of the flush port manifold 111, creating a chamber housing a low durometer butyl rubber lip seal 114. The flange 106 may be manufactured of molded acrylic or the like. The lip seal 114 forms an effective dynamic seal against one end of the transfer shaft 107. Lip seals are pressure-compensating devices that function at zero or low pressure by light elastomeric compression against a shaft, minimizing the drag component in a dynamic application. When pressure against the seal increases, the lip tightens against the shaft, increasing both the sealing action and the dynamic friction. In this application, however, a high pressure sealing requirement preferably is only encountered during injection of contrast medium, typically when the cutter 22 is not rotating. Lower pressure dynamic sealing may be required during saline infusion, however, so pressure compensating lip seals are presently preferred.
The lip seal 114 is desirably transfer-molded butyl rubber, with about a 0.047 inch inside diameter lip (generally within the range of from about 0.035 inch to about 0.050 inch), running on the transfer shaft 107, which may have an outside diameter of approximately 0.055 inch. Medical-grade silicone grease may be used lubricate the interface between the lip seal 114 and the transfer shaft 107, but the grease tends to be forced away from the lip during prolonged use. Thus, a Teflon coating on the transfer shaft 107 may act as a back-up lubricant to reduce or eliminate seal damage in the event the grease is lost.
Returning to the vacuum manifold 86, as illustrated in
The vacuum hose 88 desirably extends through a switch configuration 120 described in detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, the vacuum hose 88 then further extends to the bottom portion of the control 18. A pinch resistant sleeve 116 may be provided to prevent the pinching of the vacuum hose 88 as it exits the control 18. Additionally, the pinch resistant sleeve 116 provides a liquid seal to further reduce the likelihood of liquids entering the control 18 unit during operation.
In interventions such as those with which the present surgical instrument 10 has particular utility, it has been discovered to be desirable that cutting should occur only under sufficient aspiration. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention involves a cutter lock-out mechanism that will not allow cutting of material unless sufficient aspiration is present. The aspiration rate may be directly sensed (i.e., flow monitoring) or indirectly sensed (i.e., vacuum monitoring). For instance, because the level of vacuum will typically be one determining factor of the level of aspiration, the vacuum level may be monitored to determine when a new vacuum bottle should be employed. In such a situation, if the level of a sensed vacuum drops below about 15 inches Hg, insufficient clearing vacuum is present and the risk of blockage within the device 10 increases. Thus, a cutter lock-out mechanism should be employed to prevent cutting of material until the vacuum level is replenished. Specifically, it has been determined that a sensed vacuum of about 13.5 to about 14 inches Hg usually precedes clogging in the illustrated embodiment.
The cutter lock-out mechanism is generally comprised of two components, either of which may find utility individually or in combination. One of the components is a vacuum monitor. The vacuum monitor (not shown) is desirably a linear pressure transducer that senses the presence of an adequate vacuum force. The signal from the transducer is preferably utilized to enable an automatic override of the motor such that the motor cannot turn the cutter 22 if the vacuum drops below a threshold level (e.g. 15 inches Hg). Generally, the vacuum monitor may also comprise a vacuum detector, a comparator of any suitable type, an alarm or circuit cut-out. Thus, the vacuum detector may sample the state of operation of the vacuum, the comparator may determine varying operating conditions, and if the vacuum force drops below or unexpectedly and suddenly exceeds the pre-set threshold level for any reason the alarm can alert the operator to take corrective action, and/or the cut-out circuit can automatically stop rotation of the cutter.
The cutter lock-out mechanism may also comprise a flow monitor (not shown). The flow monitor may be of any suitable type and may simply monitor the flow rate, or aspiration rate, through the aspiration channel. The flow monitor also may be connected to circuitry or alarms such that the user may be warned if the aspiration rate slows (i.e., conditions indicative of a blockage arise) and/or such that the device 10 may automatically take corrective action when a decrease in the aspiration rate is detected. For instance, the device 10 may disable cutting (i.e., rotation of the cutter 22), increase the suction level or otherwise attempt to auto-correct the situation. Also, it is anticipated that various alarms, be they visual, tactile or auditory, may be utilized to inform the operator or clinician of the alert status.
Another component of the cutter lock-out mechanism is a switch arrangement that advantageously controls the motor state and vacuum application as described below. As will be recognized by those of skill in the art, such a switch may be mechanical, electromechanical, or software-controlled. With reference to
The switch push button 124 may be further provided with an axial arm 128 that preferably extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the push button 124. Thus, in some embodiments, the arm may assume an "L" shaped configuration. It is anticipated that a variety of arm configurations may also be employed.
An electronic switch 130 is desirably located below the axial arm 128 of the switch push button 124. Thus, as the push button 124 is further depressed beyond the position in
Advantageously, the compression spring 126 is also preferably attached to a pinching member 132 of the switch configuration 120. As the push button 124 is depressed, the compression spring 126 is advantageously initially deflected. Desirably, the deflection in the compression spring 126 causes the pinch member 132 to retract. Thus, the pinch member 132 is retracted once the push button 124 is depressed. As the pinch member 132 is retracted, a vacuum is initiated and aspiration flow is allowed to pass the pinch valve 120. Advantageously, the amount of flow past valve may depend on how far the button 124 is depressed, enabling control of the amount of suction (and, thereby, the level of aspiration) if desired. Further depression of the push button 124 beyond the retraction point initiates a contact of the electrical switch 130 and, therefore, allows the motor 90 to be powered only after the vacuum flow has begun.
A return flow path of the illustrated device 10 for aspiration and the like starts at the cutter 22, passes through the helical thread 46 and the cutter blocks 42 of the cutter 22 (and stationary blocks of the cutter housing, if present), continues through the outer lumen 20 of the outer tube 12 to the vacuum manifold 86, and then passes through a length of vacuum tubing 88 to a tissue collection/fluid separation container, such as a vacuum bottle. The return flow may be assisted by a positive vacuum supply, such as the vacuum bottle or a house vacuum, as is known in the art. For instance, the collection container may be connected to a vacuum collection canister that may be, in turn, hooked to a regulated central vacuum source or a suction collection pump or evacuated container.
The pinch valve assembly is preferably designed with a "shipping lock-out" feature (not shown) that secures the button 124 in a partially depressed position where the vacuum tube 88 is no longer compressed, but the switch 130 is not yet actuated. This preserves the elastic memory of the pinch tube and protects the device from accidental actuation during handling or storage. In its present form, a thin, flexible lock-out wire with an identifying tag (not shown) can be inserted at the last stage of instrument manufacturing, passing through a hole in the button (not shown) and extending through a notch in the side wall of the control 18. In this configuration, a highly-visible tag protrudes from the side of the control 18, preventing use of the device until the wire is pulled free. Removing the lock-out wire releases the button 124 and returns the control 18 to a functional condition. Once removed from the original locked position, the lock-out wire (not shown) desirably cannot be reinserted without disassembly of the control 18.
With reference again to
As described below in detail, a motor controller 134 preferably provides the motor 90 with sufficient energy by using a combination of missing pulse and pulse width modulation. For instance, the motor speed may be sensed by measuring the back electromotive force (EMF), which is proportional to speed. A portion of the back EMF may be fed to the controller 134, which preferably varies the drive power to the motor 90 to maintain a constant speed. The circuit values of the controller 134 allow motor speed settings of about 1,000 RPM to about 8,000 RPM. The speed chosen for no load operation in one embodiment may preferably range from approximately 1,500 RPM to about 5,000 RPM. In a presently preferred embodiment, the no load operation speed is approximately 2,000 RPM. Desirably, the motor speeds associated with the present invention are less than those associated with abrasive-type devices and turbulence-based devices as will be recognized by those of skill in the art. In some embodiments, the motor control circuitry may limit the motor torque to a range of about 0.10 oz-inches to about 0.45 oz-inches by sensing the motor current and setting the motor drive power to the appropriate level. A switching controller, thus, may be used for two reasons: (a) it is very efficient—it uses less than 0.015 amperes (the motor current would vary from 0.05 to 0.4 amperes, or perhaps more), and (b) it can deliver appropriate torque instantly or on demand, even at low motor speeds, so the likelihood of stalling is minimized.
The power source 122, preferably a 9-volt battery, may not be electrically connected to the controller 134 until the push button 124 is depressed, as discussed above, so standby power drain is advantageously eliminated or reduced. In the illustrated embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) is desirably on when the motor is running at normal loads (i.e., the sensed current level is lower than a predetermined current level requiring an alert). This LED may be green in some embodiments and will be referred to as such in connection with the illustrated embodiment. Another LED turns on at a motor current of approximately 0.25 amperes, or another threshold level that may indicate a motor "overload" situation. This LED may be red in some embodiments and will be referred to as such in connection with the illustrated embodiment. For instance, the red LED may indicate that the current is proximate, or has achieved, a predetermined maximum safe value. The preset maximum safe value is the upper limit, as determined by the specific design and configuration of the device 10, for current that indicates an overload condition. Thus, another feature of the present invention includes the ability to provide feedback to the operator based upon motor load. This is advantageous in that the operator can be alerted to a potential binding of the instrument and react accordingly. For instance, the progression rate of the instrument may be reduced or stopped or the instrument may be backed from the trouble location using the reverse switch or otherwise. It should also be understood that the device may make automatic adjustments to the motor speed relative to the sensed load utilizing methods which would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art following a review of
Any of a variety of tactile, auditory or visual alarms may also be provided either in combination with, or as alternatives to, each other and the LEDs. For instance, the surgical instrument could vibrate or provide an audible signal when it encounters an overload situation. The pulses or tones may vary to correspond to any variance in resistance to rotation. For example, the pitch may increase with resistance or the speed of a repeating pulse of sound may increase. Additionally, where a (CRT) monitor is used to visualize the operation, a visual signal could be sent to the monitor to display the operating characteristics of the surgical equipment. As will be further recognized to those skilled in the art, other variations of alerting the operator to the operating characteristics of the present invention may be provided.
The present invention thus provides feedback to the clinician in real time during the progress of the rotational atherectomy procedure. Real time feedback can allow the clinician to adjust the procedure in response to circumstances that may vary from procedure to procedure, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of the procedure and possibly minimizing additional risks such as the creation of emboli. Pressing the cutter 22 into a lesion with too much force may produce an increased load, which can then be detected by the circuitry 131 and communicated to the clinician in any of a variety of ways as has been discussed. This may allow the clinician to ease back on the distal advancement force and/or adjust the vacuum or RPM of the cutter 22, such as by reducing the advancement force and lowering the resistance to rotation of the cutter 22, until the load is reduced to an acceptable level, and continue with the procedure. As will be recognized, if aspiration drops due to increased material being aspirated, the load is likely to have increased; therefore, the clinician is alerted to such an increase in load such that corrective action may be taken. By allowing the load to return to an acceptable level, the aspiration rate may also return to an acceptable level in some embodiments. As will be recognized, the load may increase due to a blockage and the blockage would lower the aspiration rate; however, clearing the blockage will generally return the aspiration rate to a desired level as well as reduce the load on the motor.
In addition, increased load can be incurred by kinks at any location along the length of the instrument, thereby reducing the motor speed. Kink-originated loading could be reflected in the feedback mechanism to the clinician, so that the clinician can assess what corrective action to take.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a selectively reversible tip rotation. For instance, the drive motor may be reversed such as by manipulation of the reverse control switch (not shown) on the handle of the control 18. Motor reversing circuitry, with or without a variable speed control, is well understood by those of skill in the art. Momentary reversing of the direction of rotation of the distal cutter, most likely at a relatively low speed of rotation, may be desirable to dislodge material which may have become jammed in the cutter tip. In this manner, the clinician may be able to clear a cutter tip blockage without needing to remove the catheter from the patient and incur the additional time and effort of clearing the tip and replacing the device. Low speed reverse rotation of the cutter may be accomplished in combination with a relatively increased vacuum, to reduce the likelihood of dislodging emboli into the blood stream. Following a brief period of reverse rotation, forward rotation of the cutter tip can be resumed. Whether the obstruction has been successfully dislodged from the cutter tip will be apparent to the clinician through the feedback mechanisms discussed above. Moreover, it is anticipated that the device may alternatively have substantially the same torque, speed, vacuum force, and alarm thresholds when the cutter is rotated in either direction. It is, however, presently preferred to utilize the same speed of rotation in both forward and reverse rotation.
In the presently preferred embodiment of the control and power supply circuitry illustrated in
Desirably, the output of the switching regulator U1 only goes low, so R1 preferably pulls the output high when the switching regulator U1 is off. R13 isolates the switching regulator U1 from the gate capacitance of Q1, thereby advantageously ensuring a more reliable start-up of the switching regulator U1 upon application of power. D1 preferably prevents below-ground motor switching transients from reaching the transistor Q1. In the illustrated embodiment, the VP2204 may have a 40-volt rating, which advantageously provides plenty of margin for withstanding voltage transients. As will be recognized by those of skill in the art, any other suitable control circuit may also be utilized. Power supply filter C5 preferably helps provide the large short duration currents demanded by the controller, especially when the battery power is nearly depleted.
In the illustrated embodiment, an N-channel FET, indicated by reference numerals Q2, preferably switches the motor's back EMF to a storage capacitor C2 during the portion of the control cycle when the motor is not powered (i.e., Q2 is off when Q1 is on, and vice versa). The resistor R2, along with the gate capacitance of the FET Q2, advantageously forms a delay network so that when the FET Q2 turns on after the FET Q1 turns off. This configuration may block turn-off transients and may present a voltage to C2 that more accurately reflects the back EMF. The FET's Q2 turn-off need not be delayed, so D2 may turn on with negative-going signals and may parallel the resistor R2 with a low impedance, thereby giving only a slight delay. A resistor R5 and a resistor R6 preferably divide the back EMF to provide the error voltage (nominally about 1 volt) to pin 1 of the switching regulator U1. The value of the resistor R5 desirably determines the level of back EMF, and, therefore, the motor speed required to produce about 1 volt at the switching regulator U1, pin 1.
The resistor R4 may be in series with the motor and may be used to sense the motor current and limit the motor torque accordingly. For instance, the current pulses through the resistor R4 generate voltage pulses, which may be integrated (averaged) by the resistor R3 and the capacitor C1 and fed to pin 7 of the switching regulator U1, which is the current limit input. Preferably, when the voltage at this pin is about 0.110 volts or more, the switching regulator U1 may not increase the output drive, regardless of the error voltage. The circuit values shown result in about 0.45 amp average, or between about 0.45 and about 0.5 oz-in. of stall torque for the motor.
The back EMF voltage stored by the capacitor C2 is preferably further filtered by a resistor R7 and a capacitor C3 and may appear at the output (pin 7) of an amplifier (U2) as a relatively noise-free signal which follows the motor speed with a slight time lag. The amplifier in the illustrated embodiment is an LM358 buffer amplifier. The voltage is desirably divided by a resistor R8, a resistor R9 and a resistor R10 and may appear at the positive input of the comparator section of the amplifier U2 (pin 3). A negative input is desirably fixed at about 1 volt, since it is connected to the switching regulator U1, pin 2. When the voltage at pin 3 exceeds that at pin 2, the output (pin 1) is high and the green (Cutting) LED is on in the illustrated embodiment. When the voltage at pin 3 is less than at pin 2, the output is low and the red (Overload) LED is on in the illustrated embodiment. "Overload" in the embodiment being described herein has been defined as the point when the motor current reaches about 70% of stall current; however, any desired percentage of stall current may be used to define an overload condition. The value of a resistor R9 determines approximately equal red and green LED intensities with a dynamic motor load that causes a motor current of approximately 0.35 amperes.
With continued reference to
In a presently preferred method of use, a guidewire 28 is first percutaneously introduced and transluminally advanced in accordance with well known techniques to the obstruction to be cleared. The surgical instrument 10 is then introduced by placing the distal end 16 of the flexible tubular body 12 on the guidewire 28, and advancing the flexible tubular body 12 along the guidewire 28 through the vessel to the treatment site. When the distal end 16 of the flexible tubular body 12 has been maneuvered into the correct position adjacent the proximal terminus of material to be removed, the drive tube 24 is rotated relative to the tubular body 12 to cause the cutter 22 to rotate in a direction which will cause the forward end 47 of the thread 46 to draw material into the housing 21. A circular cutting action may be provided by mutual cooperation of the outer cutting edge of the screw thread 46 with lip 39 of the cutter housing 21 and the internal peripheral wall of the cutter housing 21. In addition, the cutter housing 21 in cooperation with the flanges 42 and any other stationary members present, effectively chops or minces the strands of material being drawn into the cutter housing 21. The cut material is then carried proximally through the annular passageway between the flexible drive tube 24 and the tubular body 12 under the force of vacuum. If an increase in load and/or decrease in RPM is detected, the clinician can take reactive measures as described above. The vacuum preferably pulls the cuttings through the entire length of the lumen 20 and vacuum tube 88 and into a suitable disposal receptacle. A manual or automatic regulator may regulate the vacuum source such that a constant flow velocity may be maintained, or blockages reduced or cleared, through the vacuum tube 88 regardless of the viscosity of the material passing through the vacuum tube 88.
Although this invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow.
1. A rotational medical device, comprising:
- an elongate flexible tubular body, having a proximal end and a distal end;
- a rotatable element extending through the body;
- a rotatable cutter at the distal end of the body and connected to the rotatable element;
- a control on the proximal end of the body; and
- a sensor on the device in electrical communication with an indicator, for indicating resistance to rotation of either the rotatable element or rotatable cutter.
2. A rotational medical device as in claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a source of tactile feedback.
3. A rotational medical device as in claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises at least one light.
4. A rotational medical device as in claim 1 further comprising a reverse direction control such that the rotatable cutter can be rotating in either of two directions.
5. A rotational medical device as in claim 1, wherein the rotatable cutter comprises a generally helical thread.
6. A rotational medical device as in claim 1, wherein the rotatable element is positioned entirely inside of the tubular body.
7. A rotational medical device as in claim 1, further comprising an annular space between the rotatable element and an interior wall of the tubular body.
8. A rotational medical device as in claim 1, wherein the control unit is attached to the proximal end of the body by a rotatable hub.
9. A rotational medical device as in claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing sleeve oyer at least a portion of the proximal end of the body.
10. A rotatable medical device as in claim 1, wherein the rotatable element and the cutter can translate relative to the body.
11. A rotational medical device, comprising:
- an elongate flexible tubular body, having a proximal end and a distal end;
- a rotatable element extending through and spaced radially inwardly from the body;
- an aspiration lumen extending through the tubular body in between an interior wall of the elongate flexible tubular body and exterior wall of the rotatable element;
- a rotatable cutter at the distal end of the body, connected to the rotatable element; and
- a control on the proximal end of the body; a sensor on the device in electrical communication with an indicator, for indicating resistance to rotation of either the rotatable element or rotatable cutter;
- wherein the tubular body has a first cross-sectional area, and the aspiration lumen has a second cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area of the aspiration lumen is at least 35% of the cross-sectional area of the tubular body.
12. The rotational medical device of claim 11, wherein the aspiration lumen is defined by and located between the interior wall of the elongate flexible tubular body and the exterior wall of the rotatable element.
13. A rotational medical device, comprising:
- an elongate flexible tubular body, having a proximal end and an open distal end;
- a rotatable element extending through the body;
- a rotatable cutter disposed within the tubular body at the distal end of the body and connected to the rotatable element;
- a control on the proximal end of the body; and
- an axially extending annular aspiration channel defined by and located between the rotatable element and the tubular body.
14. A rotational medical device as in claim 13, further comprising an indicator for indicating changes in flow through the aspiration channel.
15. A rotational medical device as in claim 13, wherein the control is mounted on a handle configured for one hand operation of the rotational medical device, and the control activates both rotation of the rotatable cutter and an application of a vacuum.
16. A rotational medical device as in claim 15, wherein the control is activateable by single finger operation, and, upon actuation thereof, initiates the application of the vacuum within the tubular body before initiating rotation of the rotatable tip.
17. A rotational medical device as in claim 16, further comprising a shipping lock-out wire adapted to hold the control in a vacuum activated position and rotation deactivated position.
18. The rotational medical device of claim 13 further comprising a cutter housing positioned at the distal end of the tubular body and within which the cutter is disposed.
19. A rotational medical device, comprising:
- an elongate flexible tubular body, having a proximal end and a distal end;
- a rotatable element extending through the body;
- a rotatable cutter at the distal end of the body and connected to a motor through the rotatable element;
- a control on the proximal end of the body; and
- a sensor on the device in electrical communication with a motor control circuit, wherein the motor control circuit is capable of receiving a signal from the sensor for indicating an operating condition based upon resistance to rotation of either the rotatable element or rotatable cutter and wherein the motor control circuit is capable of disengaging the motor rotation from the cutter in the event the operating condition indicates an overload condition.
20. A rotational medical device as in claim 19 further comprising at least one indicator for indicating the operating condition.
21. A rotational medical device as in claim 20, wherein the indicator includes a visual indicator.
22. A rotational medical device as in claim 20, wherein the indicator includes an auditory indicator.
23. A rotational medical device as in claim 20, wherein the indicator includes a tactile indicator.
24. A rotational medical device comprising an elongated tubular body, the elongated tubular body defining an aspiration channel, a cutter disposed at a distal end of the tubular body, the cutter rotatable relative to the tubular body, a control disposed at the proximal end of the tubular body, the control including a connecting hub, the connecting hub coupling the tubular body to the control such that the tubular body may rotate relative to the control during operation.
25. A rotational medical device as in claim 24 further comprising a motor housed within the control and a flexible drive element transmitting power from the motor to the cutter, wherein the flexible drive element extends through the hub such that the flexible drive element may rotate relative to the hub and tubular body while still allowing the tubular body and hub to rotate relative to the control.
26. A rotational medical device as in claim 25 further comprising a drive coupling, the drive coupling comprising a sleeve and a plate which slides within the sleeve and engages the sleeve to transmit rotation between the sleeve and the plate, wherein at least one of the sleeve and plate shields the motor from fluids which may leak into the control.
27. A rotational medical device comprising a cutter, an elongated tubular body connecting the cutter to a control, the control having a drive motor, the drive motor transmitting rotation to the cutter through at least a flexible drive shaft, the cutter capable of axial displacement relative to the control during operation.
28. A rotational medical device as in claim 27, wherein the cutter is capable of axial displacement relative to the motor.
29. A rotational medical device as in claim 27 further comprising a transfer shaft that extends through the motor and that is coupled to an output of the motor such that the transfer shaft is capable of axial displacement relative to the motor.
30. A rotational medical device as in claim 27, further comprising a transfer shaft that transfers rotation from the motor to the flexible drive shaft and wherein the flexible drive shaft is capable of axial displacement relative to the transfer shaft.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 14, 2000
Date of Patent: Jan 20, 2009
Patent Publication Number: 20010004700
Assignee: ev3 Endovascular, Inc. (Plymouth, MN)
Inventors: John S. Honeycutt (Fallbrook, CA), Paul Taylor (Poway, CA)
Primary Examiner: Kevin T Truong
Attorney: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Application Number: 09/737,165
International Classification: A61B 17/22 (20060101);


text:
Ready for your next holiday? Whether you're off to a sunny, unspoilt coastline or a bustling metropolis, we've got the travel tips you need to save money on your next getaway. Planning a dream trip on a budget can seem like a nearly impossible task but with a little know-how, it really can be done. With clever tricks that will save you money on flights, accommodation, exchange rates and more, don't jet off without reading our brilliant travel tips. We've even got travel tips for dining out and visiting museums on the cheap. Because everyone deserves a holiday! Get ready to satisfy your wanderlust at a bargain price...
1. Sign up for flight alerts and deals
Keep an eye on prices by getting the best travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. If you know when and where you want to travel, check out websites like Skyscanner.net and Kayak.co.uk that will monitor prices for you so that you can book when flights are cheapest.
2. Travel in low season
If you can, give popular destinations a miss during peak season. That means don't head to Portugal or Disneyland as soon as the school summer holidays begin, to Rio for Carnival, the Alps in February – you get the idea. Avoid summer holiday pitfalls with these amazing destinations – perfect for the whole family.
3. Book your hotel directly
Not finding any good hotel deals online? Try cutting out the middle man and calling the hotel's local reservations number instead. Not only will you not have to pay any online booking fees but by speaking to someone directly from the hotel, they might be able to offer you a discount.
4. Fly in the middle of the week
A little flexibility can go a long way. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the cheapest days to fly so play around with your dates before booking any flights – it could save you some serious money!
5. Book two flights instead of one
Before booking a round-trip flight, research the cost of two one-way flights. Weirdly, it can sometimes work out cheaper!
6. Take public transport
Not only is hopping on the local bus a great way to explore a new city, but public transport is pretty much always going to be cheaper than getting a taxi. Or if you're not going far, try cycling or walking!
7. Don't exchange money at the airport
Airports typically offer the worst exchange rates plus the highest fees.
8. Research museum free days
Before you travel, make a list of all the museums that you'd like to visit while you're away. Then go online and research if any of them offer free days – you'd be surprised how many do!
9. Turn off your phone
Coming back from holiday is hard enough without coming back to a massive phone bill to boot. Whenever you travel abroad, save yourself a whole lot of hassle and expense by turning your phone's roaming off. Your wallet will thank you for it.
10. Eat like a local
Avoid restaurants that are right by big tourist sights or ones with 'we speak English' signs. Instead, venture a little further away or ask a local for their top tips. Not only will the food be better but the prices will be better, too!
11. Pack snacks
Airport food isn't always the tastiest and it's certainly not the cheapest. Save your precious pennies by packing some snacks with you for the trip. Bringing an empty water bottle is another clever tip – once you're through security you can fill it up and stay hydrated throughout your flight without having to ask the flight attendants to keep refilling your cup.
12. Research discounts
Many sights and attractions offer discounts for seniors, children, students and certain memberships. Don't forget to bring your ID or membership card with you while travelling.
13. Consider renting an apartment instead of booking a hotel
Renting can be more economical than stay in hotels, especially if you cook a few meals at home rather than eating out. Plus, staying in an apartment gives you the chance to experience a destination like a local.
Got your own money-saving travel tips that didn't make our list? Let us know on social media by using #goodliving. Pick up everything you need for your trip at Asda online or in-store.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Campaign: Hulsbosch Says 'It's Royal Caribbean Time'
A locally produced TVC is the second phase of the wide-ranging brand campaign titled 'It's Royal Caribbean Time' executed by communications agency Hulsbosch.
The new 60sec/30sec/15sec TVCs are a first in Australia for Royal Caribbean International with the TVC launching on Sunday 16 November in the Sydney and Brisbane markets.
The TVC's script, created by Hulsbosch, brings to life the brand story and captures Royal Caribbean International's unique cruising experience. It showcases their megaliners and the major refurbishments the ships have undergone including modern facility upgrades, amazing on-board activities and an array of dining experiences you won't find on any other cruise brand.
The campaign positions Royal Caribbean International 'top of mind' for holidaymakers and appeals
to a target market of Australians who enjoy an experience-filled lifestyle and are increasingly seeking exciting, imaginative travel experiences.
Royal Caribbean International's state-of-the-art fleet have arrived on Australian shores and a season highlight will be the reveal of a multi-million dollar bow-to-stern makeover of its biggest and most feature laden ship, Voyager of the Seas arriving in Sydney in December.
Linda Jukic, Hulsbosch creative director said: "I'm delighted that Hulsbosch as a multidisciplinary
brand agency currently offers integrated 360 campaigns. This project is a demonstration of client partnering for a global product and creating relevant solutions for the Australian market.
"The beautiful content and strong aspirational tone of the script is what we wanted to bring home.
It encapsulates the desires and dreams that inspire Australians to cruise and embodies the Royal Caribbean International spirit.
"For so long Australians have known one way of cruising but things have changed. It's time to discover there is an alternative and that it's an exciting holiday with Royal Caribbean International."
The summer brand awareness campaign 'It's Royal Caribbean Time' centres on the compelling TVC execution and is supported across marketing channels with extensive retail print, hard-hitting digital
and high-rotation social activations.
Sean Treacy, regional commercial director Asia-Pacific at Royal Caribbean International said:
"Over the past five years, Hulsbosch's tactical campaigns for Royal Caribbean International have achieved extraordinary results and our partnering continues to evolve as we embark on a significant investment
in the market.
"The current brand campaign aims to increase awareness and reiterate the Royal Caribbean difference
in the ever-expanding cruise sector in Australia.
It's an important growth cycle for the business as cruising now plays a significant role in the Australian tourism sector. We are hoping to show the new-to-cruising or new-to-our-brand that there is more choice in Australia – and sailing with Royal Caribbean International is like no other."
Cruising is booming in Australia and the sector has seen extraordinary growth in recent years. A record 260 passenger ships visited Sydney Harbour and a record of more than 800,000 trips taken by Australians was achieved in the 2013/14 summer season. The figure is estimated to hit 1 million by 2016/17.
Hans Hulsbosch – Executive Creative Director
Linda Jukic – Creative Director
Julia Clyde – Senior Account Director
Samantha Pang – Account Manager
Hyugo Hayashi – Account Manager
Chris Round – Copywriter & Art Director
Producer – Sarah Cloutier
Offline editor – Patrick Townsend
Online editor – Howard Hill
Audio mix – Nigel Crowley
Grade – Billy Wychgel


text:
An art museum for Jack Kirby? Maybe…
Above photo: I just love this photo of comics' legend, Jack Kirby. And I love the idea of a Kirby museum just as much.
Randy Hoppe of the Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center states in "So, where is the Jack Kirby Museum?":
Our intention is to set up a temporary, or "pop-up," brick-and-mortar location for the Jack Kirby Museum during this November, December and January. The ideal size for this purpose is between 800-1,200-square-feet, and would feature original artwork, artifacts from Jack's life, prominent guest speakers, educational programs and installation pieces inspired by and celebrating the unique work and life of Jack Kirby.
A space like this dedicated entirely to the life and work of Jack Kirby would be equally appealing to seasoned art patrons, pop-art connoisseurs, casual fans, tourists, and families. Successful implementation of this pop-up museum will allow us to pursue the ultimate goal of a PERMANENT space for the Museum in the near future.
Again, nothing like this has ever been attempted. And, in order to make this happen, we need funding.
Labels: Comics, Jack Kirby


text:
Hi I need to hire a car from the 30th March to the 5th April. I need a company who will accept Vias Electron or cash on delivery?
Unfortunately, only a credit card in the main drivers name is accepted in order to hire a vehicle. The only way around this is if someone was travelling with you who had a valid driving licence and credit card they could be the main driver and you the additional driver.
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What our customers say


text:
Click here for Year 6 Residential 2017
Autumn Term- World War 2
When did World War Two begin?
World War Two in Europe began on 3rd September 1939, when the Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, declared war on Germany. It involved many of the world's countries.
Children have created shelters and gas masks to show us what it looked like during World War 2. Some women were evacuated from the big cities into the countryside. People carried gas masks to protect themselves and built air raid shelters . All windows and doors were blacked out .
Children made a model of the aeroplane used in World War 2.
Why did the Second World War start?
The Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler had refused to abort his invasion of Poland.
When did World War Two end?
The War ended in the Summer of 1945. It is estimated that 50 million people lost their lives during World War 2.
In 1940, two million British men aged between 19 - 27 years, who were not working in 'reserved occupations', were ordered to fight. This was known as being "called up". They were trained and sent off to war.
Natural Disasters- Winter Term
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth's surface. Earthquakes happen along cracks (called fault lines) in the earth's surface. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas, although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted — although scientists are working on it!
Children have been learning about natural disasters as volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. They learn about the causes of the disasters and how to be prepared if you live in an area effected by these disasters.
Children made models of volcanoes using paper mache and different materials. They painted volcanoes to show real colours of magma.
A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten, or melted, rock below the surface of the Earth. Unlike most mountains, which are pushed up from below, volcanoes are vents through which molten rock escapes to the Earth's surface.


text:
I am a postdoc in theoretical computer science at Harvard and MIT. My hosts are Boaz Barak, Jon Kelner, Ankur Moitra, and Pablo Parrilo.
I received my PhD from U.C. Berkeley, where I was advised by Prasad Raghavendra and Satish Rao.
After that, I spent Fall 2017 as a Google Research Fellow in the Simons Institute program on Discrete and Continuous Optimization.
My research is in algorithms, and my interests include optimization via convex programs (especially the sum-of-squares hierarchy), statistical inference and average-case problems, spectral algorithms, spectral graph theory, and more.
Here is a tutorial for pronouncing my name.
Check out my thesis, "Random Matrices and the Sum-of-Squares Hierarchy".
Also, my CV.
Invited to the SODA 2016 special issue of ACM Transactions on Algorithms.


text:
Guess what? We've found another diy material and seriously a cute one. OK, it is not something new but the project outcomes really are. Yes, we are talking about those colorful plastic beads that you make several shapes and iron in the end. DIYers around the world have done such a great job with them that each of the products seems incredibly amazing. Here are 20 easy and fun tutorials for you to deal with during the holiday season.
Tutorial: thecheesethief
Tutorial: howdidyoumakethis
Tutorial: morningcreativity
Tutorial: thecheesethief
Tutorial: johannarundel
Tutorial: thepinksamurai
Tutorial: mypoppet
Tutorial: leighlaurelstudios
Tutorial: planb
Tutorial: merrimentdesign
Tutorial: poppyhaus
Tutorial: morningcreativity
Tutorial: mypoppet
Tutorial: dreamalittlebigger