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 . A system for treating a lesion in a body lumen of a patient 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 proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion configured to extend outside the patient when the cutting member is positioned in the body lumen adjacent the lesion, 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.   
     
     
         2 - 19 . (canceled)