Importance

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Abstract

An atherectomy catheter including an expandable cutter head having spaced apart blades radially extending from a cutter sleeve at a leading end of the cutter head. A torque tube is attached to and surrounds the blades at an expanding end of the cutter head opposite the leading end. An expander cable is attached to a bushing within the cutter head adjacent to the cutter sleeve and blades with the expander tube axially displaceable through the torque tube. A guide wire slidably extends through the bushing and expander tube. A guiding catheter substantially encloses the torque tube with the torque tube rotatable and axially displaceable within the guiding catheter, to rotate the cutter head as it engages a blockage in a blood vessel, An inflatable low pressure balloon around the torque tube applies a bio-active agent directly to tissues of the blood vessel cut during atherectomy. A stent with bio-active agent promotes healing of the vessel.

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First Claim