Patent ID: 6939322

Claim:
A myocardial revascularization catheter comprising: an outer shaft having a lumen, an inner surface, a first stop, a second stop, and a distal end; and an inner shaft having a distal end, an outside surface, and a first stop, the inner shaft being slidably and rotatably disposed in the outer shaft, the inner shaft having a piercing tip, the piercing tip moveable from a first position to a second position, the first position outside of the outer shaft, the second position outside of the outer shaft, the first stop of the inner shaft being arrested by the first stop of the outer shaft from further purely longitudinal movement towards the distal end of the outer shaft when the piercing tip is in the first position, the first stop of the inner shaft being arrested by the second stop of the outer shaft from further purely longitudinal movement towards the distal end of the outer shaft when the piercing tip is in the second position, wherein rotation of the inner shaft allows for distal movement of the first stop of the inner shaft past the first stop of the outer shaft and towards the distal end of the outer shaft.