Rotating tip with shroud for catheter.

摘要

The catheter of this invention includes an elongated flexible sheath having a center lumen and having a length which extends from outside a subject to a region of interest within a subject vessel. An rotatable tip/impeller is driven by a drive member which extends through the sheath's center lumen to apply power to the tip/impeller. A bushing/shroud is interposed between the flexible sheath the tip/impeller. The shroud portion extends from the distal end of the bushing portion wherein said shroud essentially surrounds the tip/impeller, the tip/impeller may or may not extend beyond the distal end of the shroud.