Patent ID: 9345510
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. An atherectomy catheter device configured to visualize and to cut tissue, the device comprising: an elongate catheter body; a distal tip attached to the elongate catheter body; a cutter having a distal cutting edge, the cutter configured to rotate relative to the elongate catheter body; a cutter drive shaft within the elongate catheter body and connected to the cutter, the cutter drive shaft configured to rotate the cutter, wherein the cutter drive shaft is further configured to be longitudinally displaced proximally or distally to deflect the distal tip to expose the cutting edge of the cutter; and an optical fiber within the cutter drive shaft extending a length of the elongate catheter body, a distal end of the optical fiber forming an imaging sensor; wherein the distal end of the optical fiber is rotationally fixed to the cutter and configured to rotate therewith during imaging, a proximal end of the optical fiber is rotationally fixed to a portion of the catheter device, and an area between the proximal end of the optical fiber and the distal end of the optical fiber is free to rotate within the cutter drive shaft.