Patent ID: 9480826
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: A61B,A61M

Claim Text:
1. An intravascular device for perforation and serration of atherosclerotic plaque prior to balloon angioplasty, comprising: a carrier having a longitudinal axis with a first end, a second end and a middle region therebetween, the middle region comprising a plurality of ribbon strips extending longitudinally between the first and second ends continuously in a straight line from the first end to the second end when in an unexpanded state, the plurality of ribbon strips being conjoined at the first end and at the second end and having an open slot between adjacent ribbon strips that extends from and is open continuously from the first end to the second end, each of the ribbon strips carrying lines or patterns of spikes, wherein each spike comprises a base, a body, and an apex, the spike extending a height from the base at the ribbon strip to the apex at the top of the spike, the spike apex comprising an elongated edge, the elongated edge having a lengthwise dimension and extending along a length that is larger than a width of the base, the length of the spike apex being parallel with a length of the base; and an expansion apparatus for contacting the plurality of ribbon strips and pressing the spikes to pierce a luminal surface of the plaque with lines or patterns of microperforations which act as serrations for forming cleavage lines or planes in the plaque, the plurality of ribbon strips being reversibly expandable and collapsible, wherein the device creates the microperforations into the plaque without cutting the plaque, such that the distance between microperforations is equal to or greater than the height of the spikes, wherein the microperforations have a depth from 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm, and a distance between microperforations from 0.01 mm to 2 mm.