APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRECISELY CONTROLLING THE EXCISION OF OBSTRUCTIVE TISSUE IN A HUMAN BLOOD VESSEL

摘要

A means and method is described that uses a tissue excision (atherectomy) catheter system for creating a passageway through obstructive tissue in a blood vessel of a human body such that the passageway has a greater luminal diameter than the outside diameter of a percutaneously inserted catheter used to create that passageway. A guide wire is first percutaneously inserted into the blood vessel and advanced through the obstructive tissue. A percutaneously inserted catheter is then advanced over the guide wire and it cuts through the obstructive tissue while the blood vessel is compressed at the site of the obstructive tissue by means of an externally applied pressure cuff. The compressional force on the blood vessel is then released and the catheter and guide wire are removed from the blood vessel. This procedure results in a luminal diameter of the passageway cut in the obstructive tissue that is larger than the outside diameter of the tissue excision catheter.