Importance

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Abstract

A catheter-cutter for aorto-coronary bypass graft cutting of vein valves within a vein graft and for the insitu bypass vein graft cutting of the valves within a vein includes at-least-one arcuate, razor-sharp, angled-tip cutting blade extending from the open distal end of the catheter, such at-least-one cutting blade being fixed or selectively extendable from the distal end of the catheter by optional control means carried at the proximal port of the catheter, the at-least-one cutting blade being effective to cleanly excise and clearly cut a valve, not merely rendering it relatively incompetent as present valvulotomes do. the catheter according to this invention may carry a fiberoptic viewer for observing the cutting process. A selectively inflatable balloon member may be provided about the catheter tube at its very distal end to accurately fix the position of the at-least-one cutting blade and, also, to act as a buffer, if desired, during catheter insertion and manipulation while being negotiated in a forward direction within the vein being modified.

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First Claim