Abstract: A motor drive for a rotary medical device having at least one seal-set which comprises a bore defining bearing, a motor having an output shaft, a flexible shaft, having a diameter smaller than the bearing's bore, being power transmittingly and concentrically connected to the output shaft, a seal, defining a bore that is smaller than the flexible shaft's diameter, being mounted adjacent to the bearing with its bore concentric relative with the bearing's bore, wherein the flexible shaft passing through the bearing's bore which sufficiently deflects it to align it with the second bore to interferencingly fit through it and hydraulically seal it.

Abstract: A motor drive for a rotary medical device having at least one seal-set which comprises a bore defining bearing, a motor having an output shaft, a flexible shaft, having a diameter smaller than the bearing's bore, being power transmittingly and concentrically connected to the output shaft, a seal, defining a bore that is smaller than the flexible shaft's diameter, being mounted adjacent to the bearing with its bore concentric relative with the bearing's bore, wherein the flexible shaft passing through the bearing's bore which sufficiently deflects it to align it with the second bore to interferencingly fit through it and hydraulically seal it.

Abstract: A method of making a seal-set for a rotary catheter drive unit containing a motor and a seal-set, an output shaft of the motor being power transmittingly connected to a flexible shaft that is rotatably disposed through the seal-set, the seal-set comprising a bearing and an adjacent seal defining a first and a second concentric bores, respectively, the first bore being slightly larger than a diameter of the shaft so that it rotatably and accurately supports the shaft, the second bore being slightly smaller than the diameter so that it seals around the shaft, the bearing aligning the shaft, so that it is concentric with the second bore, by deflecting the shaft to compensate for eccentricity and misalignment of the second bore relative to the output shaft of the motor.

Abstract: A rotary catheter comprising a motor-driven flexible shaft rotatably disposed in a flexible tube having a fluid channel between them, a distal portion of the flexible shaft extending out of the tube and being free to move radially relative to the tube enabling the fluid channel to ingest large particles eased by motions between the rotating flexible shaft and the flexible tube, and pump means containing a thrombolytic drug connected to the fluid channel for infusing the drug through the fluid channel to the obstruction. An asymmetrical tip that is affixed to a distal end of the shaft has a substantially narrower cross section than its effective diameter so that fluid can flow alongside the tip and reach the area that the tip impacts the obstruction with the side of the tip and the tube aspirates fluid and the resulting particles into the channel.

Abstract: A method of making a seal-set for a rotary catheter drive unit containing a motor and a seal-set, an output shaft of the motor being power transmittingly connected to a flexible shaft that is rotatably disposed through the seal-set, the seal-set comprising a bearing and an adjacent seal defining a first and a second concentric bores, respectively, the first bore being slightly larger than a diameter of the shaft so that it rotatably and accurately supports the shaft, the second bore being slightly smaller than the diameter so that it seals around the shaft, the bearing aligning the shaft, so that it is concentric with the second bore, by deflecting the shaft to compensate for eccentricity and misalignment of the second bore relative to the output shaft of the motor.

Abstract: A rotary catheter for opening partially and totally obstructed bodily vessels of varying diameter (e.g., blood vessel) which comprises a motor-driven flexible hollow shaft rotatably disposed in a flexible tube, an aspiration channel defined between the flexible tube and the hollow shaft, a tip affixed to a distal end of the hollow shaft having a rounded distal end being rotatable and slideable over the guidewire, the tip having sides, a base and a crown that is offset away from a longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft further than the base and a distance between the sides being smaller than a distance between the crown and the base leaving open passages along the tip, the guidewire can be withdrawn proximally to allow the rotating crown to displace the distal end of the tip away from said wall of said vessel to tunnel through a total obstruction.

Abstract: A rotary catheter comprising a motor-driven flexible shaft rotatably disposed in a flexible tube having a fluid channel between them, a distal portion of the flexible shaft extending out of the tube and being free to move radially relative to the tube enabling the fluid channel to ingest large particles eased by motions between the rotating flexible shaft and the flexible tube, and pump means containing a thrombolytic drug connected to the fluid channel for infusing the drug through the fluid channel to the obstruction. An asymmetrical tip that is affixed to a distal end of the shaft has a substantially narrower cross section than its effective diameter so that fluid can flow alongside the tip and reach the area that the tip impacts the obstruction with the side of the tip and the tube aspirates fluid and the resulting particles into the channel.

Abstract: A rotary catheter drive unit containing a motor and a seal-set, an output shaft of the motor being power transmittingly connected to a flexible shaft that is rotatably disposed through the seal-set, the seal-set comprising a bearing and an adjacent seal defining a first and a second concentric bores, respectively, the first bore being slightly larger than a diameter of the shaft so that it rotatably and accurately supports the shaft, the second bore being slightly smaller than the diameter so that it seals around the shaft, the bearing aligning the shaft, so that it is concentric with the second bore, by deflecting the shaft to compensate for eccentricity and misalignment of the second bore relative to the output shaft of the motor.

Abstract: A rotary catheter for opening partially and totally obstructed bodily vessels of varying diameter (e.g., blood vessel) which comprises a motor-driven flexible hollow shaft rotatably disposed in a flexible tube, an aspiration channel defined between the flexible tube and the hollow shaft, a tip affixed to a distal end of the hollow shaft having a rounded distal end being rotatable and slideable over the guidewire, the tip having sides, a base and a crown that is offset away from a longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft further than the base and a distance between the sides being smaller than a distance between the crown and the base leaving open passages along the tip, the guidewire can be withdrawn proximally to allow the rotating crown to displace the distal end of the tip away from said wall of said vessel to tunnel through a total obstruction.

Abstract: A motorized rotary catheter, for breaking down and aspirating an obstruction from within a bodily vessel comprising a flexible tube containing a motor-driven, flexible, hollow shaft that is rotatable and slidable over a guidewire; a distal portion of the shaft is made of a closely wound spiraled wire and a distal portion of that spiraled wire is extendable out of a distal end of the tube; a bit affixed to a distal end of the spiraled wire forms therewith a tip that has first and second opposing sides for impacting and breaking down the obstruction as the shaft rotates; the tip also has a base and an opposing crown that is offset away from a longitudinal axis of the shaft further than the base is, enlarging the area that the tip sweeps as it rotates; a distance between the sides being smaller than a distance between the crown and the base, enhancing the ability of the tip to pass through tight spots along the vessel; as the tip rotates and the crown atraumatically slides against a wall of the vessel it displac

Abstract: A vessel cleaning system for removing an obstruction from within a patient's vessel, the system comprising a housing, connected to a flexible-tube, a motor-driven flexible agitator-shaft rotatably disposed in the flexible-tube, and a flexible distal-agitator that is connected to the agitator-shaft and shaped so that it is asymmetrically offset to only one side of the longitudinal axis of the agitator-shaft. The agitator-shaft is extended from an open distal end of the flexible-tube to break the obstruction into pieces while rotating with an effective diameter that is larger than its cross-sectional diameter and the distal-agitator is made of a spiral wire, whereas the direction of its winding, relative to the direction of rotation, is such that the distal-agitator unscrews itself from tight engagements with its surroundings and automatically retracts into the flexible-tube.

Abstract: A flexible guidewire system with an exposed midsection, for crossing an obstruction located in a patient's vessel, comprising a flexible pilot wire and a flexible casing having a distal and proximal portions slidable and rotatable over the pilot wire, at least a distal portion of the casing being a helical wire gated at its distal end, and a coupling for connecting the casing to a drive means.

Abstract: A flexible guidewire system with a deflectable distal tip comprising a flexible tubular shield adapted to slide and rotate over a pilot wire, a flexible casing disposed over the shield, at least a distal portion of the casing being a helical wire, a first coupling means connected to the casing, a second coupling means connected to the shield and a thin narrow flexible link disposed in the distal portion of the casing, adjacent to one side of an inner surface of the casing, that connected to the distal end of the casing and to a distal end of the shield and compresses, to a larger extent on the one side that is adjacent to the link, when the first coupling means is displaced relative the second coupling means causing the distal portion of the casing to curve and deflect the distal tip.

Abstract: A method of treating a vessel containing an obstruction with a system that is slidable and rotatable over a flexible pilot wire, the system having a flexible casing with a distal section in the form of a helical wire and a coupling means connected to the casing for moving and rotating the casing over the pilot wire, and a flexible sleeve in which the casing is slidably and rotatably disposed, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a pilot wire and a casing into the vessel; advancing, and rotating as needed, the coupling means and casing over the pilot wire into the vessel and engaging the helical wire with the obstruction; advancing a distal end of the sleeve over the casing into the vessel and applying negative pressure to the sleeve while simultaneously withdrawing the casing from the vessel.

Abstract: A flexible guidewire system for crossing an obstruction located in a patient's vessel comprising a flexible tubular casing slidable and rotatable over a pilot wire, the casing having an internal tubular wire-shield, at least a distal portion of the casing being a helical wire that is gated at its distal end, and a coupling means connected to the casing for rotating and linearly moving the casing and shield over the pilot wire.

Abstract: A flexible guidewire system with an exposed midsection, for crossing an obstruction located in a patient's vessel, comprising a flexible pilot wire and a flexible casing having a distal and proximal portions slidable and rotatable over the pilot wire, at least a distal portion of the casing being a helical wire gated at its distal end, and a coupling for connecting the casing to a drive means.

Abstract: A rotary flexible agitator system for removing an obstruction from within a patient's vessel that a motor-driven rotary flexible agitator-shaft disposed in the tubular housing, the agitator-shaft having an offset distal-agitator attached to its distal end that extends out of the open distal end, the effective diameter of the offset distal-agitator being substantially larger than its cross-sectional diameter, wherein rotating the offset distal-agitator breaks the obstruction in the vessel to pieces and the relative motion between the rotary flexible agitator-shaft and the flexible tube reduces the longitudinal friction that may resist the movement of the pieces through the flexible tube; and a catheter in which the flexible tube is disposed and guided into the vessel having a barrier at its distal end section for temporarily blocking flow through the vessel and reducing the likelihood of distal embolization.

Abstract: A flexible catheter having a guidewire lumen extending throughout its length and a distal section that is insertable, over the guidewire, into a patient's vasculature for removing obstructive material, comprising an inner tube nested in an outer tube with an unobstructed void defined between them that is connectable to negative pressure, the inner tube is preferably rotatable by a motor for reducing the frictional resistance to the sliding of the inner tube over the guidewire as well as for reducing the frictional resistance to the movement of obstructive material through the void, the distal section of the catheter consists essentially of the distal portions of the tubes, wherein the inner tube has no connection to any element for cutting or fragmenting the obstructive material thereby reducing the likelihood of dislodging the material prior to aspirating it into the void.

Abstract: An apparatus for extracting an obstruction located in a patient's vessel by fragmenting the obstruction and conveying the fragments through the apparatus out of the patient's body, having a flexible-tube with an open distal end, connected to a negative pressures, a motor-rotated, flexible, spiral conveyor-shaft disposed in the flexible tube that conveys the obstruction fragments, cooperatively with the negative pressure, through the flexible tube and an offset agitator that is connected to and is rotated by the flexible conveyor-shaft to fragment the obstruction. The offset-agitator can be moved in and out of the flexible tube, through the open distal end, to adjust its effective diameter.

Abstract: A hydraulically expandable medical device for insertion into an obstruction in a blood vessel, comprising a hydraulically expandable tube having a clover leaf shape in its relaxed, deflated, position; and longitudinal ridges attached to the expandable tube and harbored in the clover leaf shape, the expandable tube adapted to be inflated and expanded with fluid, thereby pushing the elongated ridges outwardly into the obstruction material.