Patent EP0338965A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0338965A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Angioplasty apparatus
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1989-03-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-03-30
Abstract
Abstract An angioplasty apparatus (10) for removing abnormal deposits such as atheromatic plaque from the interior coronary or peripheric arterial walls and the like is provided. The apparatus includes an elongate hollow outer lumen (12) for insertion into an arterial vessel. A rotatable driving rod (76) is engaged with the lumen and extends forwardly into the arterial vessel. An actuator is provided in the lumen for rotating the driving rod alternately in opposite directions. A milling tool (18) having milling flutes (84) is coupled to the driving rod exterior to the lumen and mills the deposits when the milling tool is rotated and brought into contact with the abnormal deposits. The apparatus also includes an electrical sensor (20) for determining when the deposit has been removed from the arterial walls in order to preserve existing healthy arterial wall tissue and a suction device for withdrawing the milled micro-particles of the abnormal deposits.
Inventors
- 👤 Apostolos Dr. Papantonakos
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 17:12
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/3205; A61B17/3207; A61B17/320725; A61B17/320758; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00022; A61B2017/00026; A61B2017/00535; A61B2017/00544
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
148 words
An angioplasty apparatus for removing abnormal deposits such as atheromatic plaque from the interior walls of the blood vessels and the like comprising: a hollow elongate flexible member having one end for insertion into said vessel; a driving member coupied at one end to said elongate member and extending forwardly at the other end into said vessel; milling means connected to said driving member exterior to said elongate member; drive means for actuating said driving member and coupled to the one end thereof, said driving member rotating said milling means alternately in opposite directions in order to engage and mill said deposits upon actuation thereof; suction means for withdrawing the milled particles of said deposit from said vessel; and sensing means located on said elongate member coupled between said vessel and said milling tool for sensing when said milling tool has removed said deposit from said vessel walls.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
148 words
An angioplasty apparatus for removing abnormal deposits such as atheromatic plaque from the interior walls of the blood vessels and the like comprising: a hollow elongate flexible member having one end for insertion into said vessel; a driving member coupied at one end to said elongate member and extending forwardly at the other end into said vessel; milling means connected to said driving member exterior to said elongate member; drive means for actuating said driving member and coupled to the one end thereof, said driving member rotating said milling means alternately in opposite directions in order to engage and mill said deposits upon actuation thereof; suction means for withdrawing the milled particles of said deposit from said vessel; and sensing means located on said elongate member coupled between said vessel and said milling tool for sensing when said milling tool has removed said deposit from said vessel walls.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes a pair of resistive circuits, one of said resistive circuits being engaged with a healthy vessel section and the other of said resistive circuits being coupled to said milling tool; a voltage source for energizing said circuits to allow a current to flow therebetween; and a comparing means for comparing the electrical resistance in said circuits to detect when said deposit is removed from said vessel walls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 2 further comprising an inflatable member engaged with the outer sides of said elongate member and operable to expand in order to engage with said healthy vessel section to hold securely said apparatus in position in said vessel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said one resistive circuit is connected to said inflatable member and engageable with said healthy vessel section upon inflation of said inflatable member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a linear displacement means disposed on said driving member for allowing said milling means to be displaced linearly along said driving means while alternately rotating in opposite directions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said drive means is a linear actuator and said linear displacement means is formed from a twisted wire pair, said milling means being secured to said twisted pair by a mating coupling, said twisted pair permitting rotation of said milling means as said linear actuator is reciprocated to advance linearly said milling means along said pair.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said linear actuator is a piston and cylinder arrangement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said piston is actuable by the introduction and withdrawal of a suitable fluid into said member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said piston is formed from magnetic material and reciprocated by alternating magnetic fields introduced into said member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said milling means includes a flexible leaf-shaped milling tool having milling flutes provided thereon and rotatable upon rotation of said pair.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
59 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said milling tool further includes a flexible cutting implement moveable from an inoperative to an operative position, said implement positioned at the distal end of said milling tool and rotatable to provide cutting of said deposit in an plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said milling tool.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
84 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said milling means is formed from a flexible leaf-shaped material and is coupled securely at one end to the distal end of said driving member, said driving member also being linearly displaceable with respect to said elongate member to abut the proximal end of said milling means against the one end of said elongate member to impart a force on said milling means to cause a change in the radial dimension of said milling means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
76 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said drive means includes an inner member having an open inner end and disposed in said elongate member to define first and second passages; a turbine rotatably coupled in said inner member and secured to said driving member; and an air supply means for supplying air alternately into one of said first and second passages and through said turbine thereby rotating said turbine alternately in opposite directions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
88 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said drive means includes a divider disposed in said elongate member for partitioning a portion of said member into a pair of substantially parallel passages; a pair of mating right-angled gears coupled to said driving member and disposed in the other portion of said member, said mating gears extending across said passages; and an air supply means for supplying air alternately into one of said parallel passages and across said gears thereby rotating said gears alternately in opposite directions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said drive means includes a pair of electromagnets located on opposite sides of said elongate member; a magnetic rotor coupled to said driving member and positioned between said electromagnets; and an alternating power supply for energizing said electromagnets, thereby rotating said rotor alternately in opposite directions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
An angioplasty apparatus as defined in previous claims and as designed in figures 8a, 8b, 8c with the exception that the piston's movements is realized by two liquid lumens which pressurize and depressurize alternatively (figure 8′).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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