Patent ID: 11877796
Assignee: THE SPECTRANETICS CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 15:
16. An intravascular therapy catheter system for cutting a blood vessel occlusion of a subject, the catheter system comprising:
a catheter having a wall, the wall comprising a distal end carrying a cutting instrument adapted to cut material of the occlusion in the blood vessel of the subject, the distal end being reconfigurable from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, the wall further comprising at least two flexible components, wherein the at least two flexible components have a first flexibility that is different than a flexibility for another portion of the wall, wherein the wall comprises two folds in the collapsed configuration, wherein the at least two flexible components are within the two folds, respectively, wherein the two folds create two folded portions, wherein a first of the two folded portions comprises a first U shape having a concave surface, wherein the second of the two folded portions comprises a second U shape having a convex surface, the second U shape coupled to the first U shape at the two folds, the wall further comprising a U shaped orifice disposed at the distal end between the first U shape and the second U shape, the orifice being in fluid communication with a lumen extending proximally from the distal end, the lumen being adapted to receive the cut material of the occlusion in the blood vessel of the subject; and
a cover carried by the catheter, the cover surrounding the distal end to hold the distal end in the collapsed configuration, and the cover being proximally slidable along the catheter to expose the distal end and permit the distal end to occupy the expanded configuration;
wherein, in the collapsed configuration, the second of the two folded portions is spaced from an inner surface of the cover.