Tissue separating and localizing catheter assembly

Abstract

A tissue-separating catheter assembly comprises a rotatable shaft, having a distal shaft portion, and a tissue separator device extending along the shaft. The tissue separator device has a distal separator part at the distal shaft portion movable between a retracted state, towards the distal shaft portion, and an outwardly extending, operational state, away from the distal shaft portion. A localization device is movable to a radially expanded state. An expandable tubular element is movable so that its outer end is generally axially aligned with the localization device so to capture a separated tissue section therebetween to aid removal of the separated tissue section from the patient.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A tissue-separating catheter assembly comprising: 
 a rotatable shaft having a distal shaft portion;    a tissue separator device extending along the shaft and having a distal separator part at the distal shaft portion movable between a retracted state, towards the distal shaft portion, and an outwardly extending, operational state, away from the distal shaft portion;    a localization device at the distal shaft portion movable from a first, radially-contracted state to a second, radially-expanded state; and    an expandable tubular element, having an outer end, said tubular element being movable between a first position, with the outer end proximal of the tissue separator device, and a second position, with the outer end generally axially aligned with the localization device;    whereby a tissue section separated from surrounding tissue by the tissue separator device is capturable by the localization device in the second state and the tubular element in the second position to aid removal of the separated tissue section from a patient.    
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the expandable tubular element comprises a radially-expandable tubular braided element.  
     
     
         3 . A method for separating and capturing a tissue section from surrounding tissue of a patient comprising: 
 directing a localization device along a tissue track to a position distal of a target site;    changing the localization device from a first, radially-contracted state to a second, radially-expanded state;    separating a tissue section at the target site from surrounding tissue; and    pushing an expandable tubular element, having an outer end, over the separated tissue section until the outer end is generally aligned with the localization device, thereby effectively capturing the separated tissue section.    
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein the pushing step is carried out using a radially-expandable tubular braided element as the expandable tubular element.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3  further comprising removing the separated tissue section, together with the localization device and the tubular element, along the tissue track.