Cutting wire assembly for use with a catheter

Abstract

A method of treating a lesion in a body lumen to enlarge a passageway in the lumen including inserting a cutting member and tracking member through a first lumen of a catheter, withdrawing the catheter from the cutting member and tracking member, inserting the catheter over the tracking member and leaving the cutting member outside the catheter, and expanding a portion of the catheter to move the cutting member into cutting contact with the lesion. A device for treating a lesion in a body lumen including a cutting member and tracking member is also provided.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A device for treating a lesion in a body lumen to enlarge a passageway in the body lumen, the device comprising a cutting member having a proximal portion and a distal portion and a tracking member having a proximal portion and distal portion, the cutting member and tracking member being connected at a distal portion and insertable into the body lumen as a unit, the cutting member configured for movement in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tracking member to widen a gap between the cutting member and tracking member at least at a distal region. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the cutting member has a cutting surface on a first surface opposite a second surface facing the tracking member. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the cutting surface is formed only in a distal region of the cutting member. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the cutting surface has a flat edge. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the second surface has a convex surface. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the tracking member has a coil at a distal end, and a heat shrink is positioned over a connection region of the cutting member and tracking member. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the tracking member includes a plurality of marker bands. 
     
     
         28 . A system for treating a lesion in body lumen to enlarge a passageway in the body lumen comprising:
 a catheter having a lumen and an expandable portion; and   a cutting assembly including a cutting member and a tracking member, the tracking member attached to the cutting member, wherein the expandable portion of the catheter is expandable to move the cutting member in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tracking member, the cutting member having a cutting surface configured to treat the lesion to enlarge the passageway in the body lumen when moved by the expandable portion of the catheter.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the cutting member and tracking member are connected at distal regions thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the expandable portion comprises an inflatable balloon. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein the tracking member has a coil at a distal end, and a heat shrink is positioned over an attachment region of the cutting member and tracking member. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein the tracking member includes a plurality of marker bands. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the cutting member at a cutting region is substantially triangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the cutting member has a first portion of a first configuration and a second portion of a second configuration, the second portion including a cutting surface and the first portion being atraumatic. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 34 , wherein a height of the second portion is less than a height of the first portion. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the cutting member is a wire and the tracking member is a wire. 
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein a length of the tracking member exceeds a length of the cutting member. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the cutting member has a first portion of a first configuration and a second portion of a second configuration, the second portion including a cutting surface and the first portion being atraumatic.