Patent ID: 7534242
Filing Date: 2009-05-19
Classification: A61B,C08L

Abstract:
1. A tissue-separating catheter assembly comprising: a rotatable shaft having a distal shaft portion; a tissue separator device extending along the shaft and having a distal separator part at the distal shaft portion movable between a retracted state, towards the distal shaft portion, and an outwardly extending, operational state, away from the distal shaft portion; said shaft comprising a tip; the distal shaft portion comprising a distally-facing transition surface at a proximal end of the distal shaft portion, said transition surface having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft distal the transition surface; wherein the distal shaft portion comprises a base surface, the distal separator part being in contact with the base surface when in the retracted state and at least a portion of the base surface is convex; a first energizable tissue separator element at the transition surface; and a second energizable tissue separator element at or near the tip, wherein said first and second tissue separator elements are adapted to aid movement of the distal shaft portion through tissue and to a target site.