Patent ID: 7648502
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A catheter comprising: a shaft comprising proximal and distal ends; a tip at the distal end of the shaft having a tapered portion over which the tip outer diameter is gradually reduced; a distal terminus; an untapered length of shaft positioned adjacent the tapered portion opposite the distal terminus; two or more lumens, at least one of which is sized to receive a 0.035 inch guidewire, the lumens spaced apart from one another such that a periphery of one lumen is spaced apart from a periphery of another lumen by a predetermined distance in the untapered length, a corresponding distance between the periphery of said one lumen and the periphery of said another lumen in the tapered portion being different from the predetermined distance in the untapered portion; and a cutting wire extending through at least a portion of one of the lumens and terminating within the tip, wherein the distal terminus has an outer diameter measuring less than approximately 0.063 inch; and wherein the tapered portion of the tip has a length of approximately 3 millimeters or less.