INTERVENTIONAL CATHETERS HAVING DIFFERENTIAL CUTTING SURFACES

摘要

An interventional catheter incorporates an advanceable, rotatable operating head or cutter assembly (50, 72, 80, 120, 140) having one or more distally located differential cutting surfaces (52, 74, 82, 124, 145, 154, 164) having a cant angle of less than 90~, the cant angle being an angle of intersection of the cutting surface and a line tangent to the circumference of the cutter assembly. A fixed blade cutter assembly (50, 72, 80, 120, 140) has a plurality of differential cutting surfaces (52, 74, 82, 124, 145, 147, 154, 164) with large ports (68, 125, 143) provided between neighboring differential cutting blades providing access to a sealed lumen and aspiration system. A dual cutter assembly having a fixed blade cutter assembly (200) and an adjustable blade cutter assembly (210) is also provided. A drive shaft provides rotation and torque from a drive system to the cutter assembly and may be coupled to the cutter assembly by means of an articulating bearing assembly (250).