Abstract: A medical device is provided for removing material from a body vessel comprising a tube, a drive shaft extending through the tube, a cutter member rotatable around its access having a tip and relatively sharp cutting edges extending outwardly from the access, and a housing enclosing the cutting edges of the cutter member so that the tip of the cutter member extends outside the housing to cut material in cooperation with the housing.

Abstract: A medical device is described for use in removing material from a body. The removal of material is accomplished by slidably contacting a cutting edge of a cutter member with the inner wall of a sleeve, where the cutting edge cooperates with the inner wall of the sleeve to capture and cut the material. The cutter member may be hollow and may be in fluid communication with a chamber for collection and removal of cut material from the cutter member. The distal tip of the cutter member may extend beyond, or be enclosed within, the sleeve, while the proximal end of the cutter member is mounted on a rotatable shaft.