Patent ID: 8475478

Claim:
A rotational atherectomy device for cleaning stenotic material from an enlarged cutting surface after abrading a stenosis within a body passageway, comprising: a guide wire; an elongate, flexible catheter comprising a lumen, a distal end and a distal cutting surface cleaner disposed on the distal end; and an elongate and flexible drive shaft comprising an enlarged cutting surface and an inner lumen, the drive shaft capable of advancement, retraction and rotation over the guide wire and at least a portion of the drive shaft capable of advancement, retraction and rotation within the lumen of the catheter, wherein the distal cutting surface cleaner further comprises a plurality of openable sections, wherein the plurality of openable sections are disposed adjacent each other with a gap therebetween when the enlarged cutting surface is completely deployed distal to the distal cutting surface cleaner, the gaps extending completely through the distal cutting surface cleaner, and wherein each of the plurality of openable sections comprising inner abrasive surfaces and being outwardly radially flexible and biased radially inward, wherein the plurality of openable sections are biasingly held in a closed position by a biasing force and wherein the enlarged cutting surface is movable to be at least partially accommodated within the distal cutting surface cleaner, thereby overcoming the biasing force and causing the plurality of openable sections to move to an open position and wherein the enlarged cutting surface is scrapingly engaged by the inner abrasive surfaces to clean the stenotic material therefrom.