Patent ID: 8439937

Claim:
A system for opening occlusions, comprising: a device for opening occlusions, the device comprising: a catheter comprising a lumen therethrough; a drive shaft received within the catheter lumen and comprising a helically coiled wire, an enlarged cutting section and a lumen therethrough, the drive shaft capable of high-speed rotation; a guide wire having a columnar strength, received within the drive shaft lumen and wherein the drive shaft is advanceable and rotatable over the guide wire, the guidewire comprising: an elongated shaft having a tapered distal section; and a helically wound distal tip fixedly attached and arranged distal to the tapered distal section; a sheath having a columnar strength greater than the columnar strength of the guide wire and received within the drive shaft lumen and further having a distal end and a lumen that receives at least a portion of the guide wire, wherein the catheter, drive shaft, sheath and guide wire are axially and independently moveable relative to each other, wherein during use of the device, the sheath and guide wire are pushed through vasculature together toward an occlusion, the sheath providing columnar strength to the elongated shaft and tapered distal section of the guide wire thereby enabling the sheath and guide wire to push through the occlusion and wherein during further use of the device the drive shaft is next advanced over the sheath to the occlusion for removal of occlusive material; and an atraumatic tip operatively coupled to the distal end of sheath, wherein the atraumatic tip comprises a material that is more flexible than material comprising the sheath, and wherein the atraumatic tip has a tapered section wherein at least a portion of the walls of the atraumatic tip are thinner than the walls of the sheath.