| 摘要 |
The present invention is a clinically practical, rotational angioplasty system which employs a unique rotary ablative device (10) for mechanically abrading, and thereby removing, lesions from within a patient's vessels. The device (10), called a "Rotablator" by its inventors, has a gas driven prime mover (172) with an integrated water pump and fiberoptic tachometer. The prime mover (172) is connected, via a hollow helical drive assembly (22), to an ellipsoidal, rotating, ablative burr (20) which is used for the actual recannilization of the patient's vessel. The burr (20) is provided with a central opening therethrough, which, together with the hollow drive assembly, permits the burr and drive assembly to be threaded over a guide wire (24), similar to the type conventionally used in a catheterization procedure. The drive assembly (22) is located within a hollow sheath (26) which prevents the rotating drive assembly (22) from contacting the inner walls of a patient's vessel. The lumen which is created between the drive assembly and the sheath is connected to a water pump within the Rotablator, and, in use, saline pumped through this lumen serves to lubricate and cool the rotating drive assembly. |
