Abstract: Systems and methods for crossing stenosis, partial occlusions, or complete occlusions within a body lumen. The systems generally include an elongate member such as a hollow guidewire that houses a rotatable and translatable drive shaft. The drive shaft typically has a distal portion that is advanced to create a path in the occlusive material that is large enough to allow the hollow guidewire to cross the occlusive material.

Abstract: A hollow guidewire with a shapeable distal end, for removing tissue from a body lumen, such as a coronary artery. The hollow guidewire comprises an elongate, tubular guidewire body that has an axial lumen. A tissue removal assembly, such as a rotating drive shaft, is positioned at or near a distal end of the tubular guidewire body and extends through the axial lumen. Actuation of the tissue removal assembly removes occlusive material in the body lumen.

Abstract: A torqueable hollow device, such as a hollow guidewire device, with a pre-determined fixed distal tip is disclosed for removing occlusive material and passing through occlusions, stenosis, thrombus, plaque, calcified material, and other materials in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery. The hollow guidewire generally comprises an elongate, tubular guidewire body that has an axial lumen. A mechanically moving core element is positioned at or near a distal end of the tubular guidewire body and extends through the axial lumen. Actuation of the core element (e.g., oscillation, reciprocation, and/or rotation) creates a passage through the occlusive or stenotic material in the body lumen.

Abstract: A controller system includes a device configured to cross an occlusion or stenosis and a control unit. The occlusion-crossing device has an axial lumen and a drive shaft extending through the axial lumen. The control unit is coupled to the device. The control unit has a processor which produces a variable sound and a variable visual display in response to a load measurement on the drive shaft. The load may be measured by a change in current in a motor which drives the shaft. This change in current is then converted to a frequency for variable sound and to a visual display indicative of the load. The load status on the motor may be divided into discrete load levels and correspondingly indicated by discrete levels in the feedback sound frequency and the visual display. This system may be used to monitor and facilitate crossing vascular total occlusions during percutaneous interventions.

Abstract: A guidewire controller system includes a guidewire device and a control unit. The guidewire device has an axial lumen and a drive shaft extending through the axial lumen. The control unit is coupled to the guidewire device. The control unit has a processor which produces a variable sound in response to a load measurement on the drive shaft. The load may be measured by a change in current in a motor which drives the shaft. This change in current is then converted to a frequency for variable sound.

Abstract: A deflectable and torqueable hollow guidewire device is disclosed for removing occlusive material and passing through occlusions, stenosis, thrombus, plaque, calcified material, and other materials in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery. The hollow guidewire generally comprises an elongate, tubular guidewire body that has an axial lumen. A mechanically moving core element is positioned at or near a distal end of the tubular guidewire body and extends through the axial lumen. Actuation of the core element (e.g., oscillation, reciprocation, and/or rotation) creates a passage through the occlusive or stenotic material in the body lumen.

Abstract: Systems and methods for crossing stenosis, partial occlusions, or complete occlusions within a body lumen. The systems generally include an elongate member such as a hollow guidewire that houses a rotatable and translatable drive shaft. The drive shaft typically has a distal portion that is advanced to create a path in the occlusive material that is large enough to allow the hollow guidewire to cross the occlusive material.

Abstract: A hollow guidewire for removing tissue from a body lumen, such as a coronary artery. The hollow guidewire comprises an elongate, tubular guidewire body that has an axial lumen. A tissue removal assembly, such as a rotating drive shaft, is positioned at or near a distal end of the tubular guidewire body and extends through the axial lumen. Actuation of the tissue removal assembly removes occlusive material in the body lumen.

Abstract: Systems and methods for crossing stenosis, partial occlusions, or complete occlusions within a body lumen. The systems generally include an elongate member such as a hollow guidewire that houses a rotatable and translatable drive shaft. The drive shaft typically has a distal portion that is advanced to create a path in the occlusive material that is large enough to allow the hollow guidewire to cross the occlusive material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for crossing stenosis, partial occlusions, or complete occlusions within a body lumen. The systems generally include an elongate member such as a hollow guidewire that houses a rotatable and translatable drive shaft. The drive shaft typically has a distal portion that is advanced to create a path in the occlusive material that is large enough to allow the hollow guidewire to cross the occlusive material.

Abstract: Ultrasonic transducer with a selectable beamwidth comprising a body of piezoelectric material in the form of an annulus having an outer diameter D and a thickness T. The body has proximal and distal generally planar parallel surfaces and a centrally disposed hole extending therethrough. The body has a cylindrical wall with a width W extending from the hole to the outer diameter. The transducer is capable of operating at low and high resonance frequencies with the low frequency resonance being determined by the diameter D and an aspect ratio of D/T and the high frequency resonance being determined by the thickness T and an aspect ratio of W/T.

Abstract: A guide wire assembly comprises a tubular body having a distal end and an proximal end. At least a portion of the body comprises a single continuous helical spring to which one or more tubular electrodes are secured. The electrodes are insulated from the spring by means of an insulator. The electrodes can take a variety of forms, including conductive ribbons, longitudinally split conductive tubes, tubular sections, etc. The guide wire assembly may further include a variety of sensors, such as velocity sensors or temperature sensors. In order to allow flowable material to be passed to the distal end of the guide wire, the guide wire can include a catheter tube passable over the tubular body of the guide wire.

Abstract: An intravascular guide wire comprising a flexible elongate member having proximal and distal extremities. A flexible elongate tubular member is coaxially disposed on the flexible elongate member. A coil assembly is secured to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member.

Abstract: Ultrasonic transducer with a selectable beamwidth comprising a body of piezoelectric material in the form of an annulus having an outer diameter D and a thickness T. The body has proximal and distal generally planar parallel surfaces and a centrally disposed hole extending therethrough. The body has a cylindrical wall with a width W extending from the hole to the outer diameter. The transducer is capable-of operating at low and high resonance frequencies with the low frequency resonance being determined by the diameter D and an aspect ratio of D/T and the high frequency resonance being determined by the thickness T and an aspect ratio of W/T.

Abstract: Ultrasonic transducer with a selectable beamwidth comprising a body of piezoelectric material in the form of an annulus having an outer diameter D and a thickness T. The body has proximal and distal generally planar parallel surfaces and a centrally disposed hole extending therethrough. The body has a cylindrical wall with a width W extending from the hole to the outer diameter. The transducer is capable of operating at low and high resonance frequencies with the low frequency resonance being determined by the diameter D and an aspect ratio of D/T and the high frequency resonance being determined by the thickness T and an aspect ratio of W/T.