Self-Centering Mechanical Medical Device

The present invention provides a medical device for use in vascular procedures. The device is particularly useful in the mechanical maceration of a thrombus or the like.

It is well known that the presence of foreign solid matter within an individual's vascular system can have serious adverse effects on an individual's health, either directly or indirectly. Such solid matter most commonly takes either the form of a thrombus, i.e., gelatinous, free-floating matter within a vascular channel but not adhered to the channel itself, or atheroma, which is most commonly a buildup of plaque or the like on the wall of a vessel. A wide variety of techniques are known for removing or breaking down such matter within the vascular system. Some techniques, known as thrombolytic therapy, utilize pharmaceutical compounds, e.g., urokinase, or streptokinase, to help dissolve such foreign matter.

Other techniques take a mechanical approach and attempt to dislodge the solid matter from the walls of the vascular system, if necessary, and then remove the solid matter from the vascular system by means of suction or the like. In dislodging plaque from vascular walls, an elongate wire with one or more scraping blades adjacent the distal end is rotated within the vascular channel. By moving the rotating blades axially into contact with the plaque, the blades will tend to dislodge it, permitting the dislodged particulate matter to be withdrawn from the vascular system by means of suction through a catheter or the like. A similar technique may also be used to break a relatively large thrombus into a number of smaller pieces which may then be extracted by aspiration.

This prior art technique does have a number of significant disadvantages, though. First, the rotating blades, which commonly rotate at between about 2,000 and about 35,000 rpm, are exposed, therefore posing a significant risk of puncturing the wall of an artery or a vein. It is estimated that this occurs in up to one-third of the procedures carried out with such a rotating blade, posing serious health risks each time such a device is used.

Another disadvantage of this procedure is that it is unable to finely grind the particulate matter; it simply tends to dislodge relatively large pieces of the built up plaque or break a large thrombus into a small number of individual pieces which remain fairly large themselves. Because this free-floating solid matter would tend to form additional thrombi if permitted to remain in the vascular system, they must be removed. As noted above, this is most commonly done by attempting to draw the thrombi out of the body through a catheter under suction. In so withdrawing the thrombi, one must necessarily withdraw a significant amount of blood as well. The volume of blood withdrawn from the patient must obviously be replaced, so additional blood supplies must be available for transfusion into the patient undergoing this procedure.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a means of reliably breaking down a thrombus or the like sufficiently to permit the resulting small particles to be left within the vascular system without any significant disadvantage. Additionally, it would be useful to provide such a medical device which would be centered within a vascular channel and spaced away from the vascular walls to minimize trauma to the lumen of the vessel and the risk of puncturing the vessel wall.

The present invention provides a safe, reliable means of breaking down a thrombus with rotating blades into particles which are fine enough to be left in the vascular system without any significant risk of forming additional thrombi. The thrombectomy device also includes means to ensure that the rotating blades of the device do not directly contact the walls of the vessel, but rather remain substantially centered within the vessel.

A medical device according to the present invention generally includes an elongate, flexible shaft which may be guided along a vascular path. A rotor, or "impeller," having blades is affixed to the shaft adjacent its distal end. Drive means are provided for rapidly rotating the shaft and the rotor attached to the shaft. The rotor is retained within a rotor housing and rotates therein. The rotor housing comprises a generally cylindrical wall substantially surrounding the rotor and having at least three ports spaced equiangularly about the circumference of the housing. As the rotor is rotated, it will tend to draw fluid, i.e., blood, into the housing in a proximal direction and expel the fluid out through the ports. This fluid then tends to be drawn back into the distal end of the housing and through the rotor again, setting up a recirculating vortex which repeatedly passes the fluid across the blades.

When the fluid is ejected through the ports in the housing within a vascular channel, the fluid will tend to act against the wall of the channel. This in turn tends to maintain the housing in a position spaced away from the surrounding vascular wall. By spacing the ports equiangularly about the circumference of the housing, the force exerted by the ejected fluid will tend to maintain the housing and the rotor carried therein in a position substantially centered within the vascular channel.

FIG. 1 is a perspective, partially broken away view of a medical device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in partial cross section of a distal portion of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a side view of the rotor housing of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3B is a top view of the rotor housing of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a rotor of the invention;

FIG. 4B is a side view of the rotor of FIG. FA rotationally displaced about its axis approximately 90.degree. from the view of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a rotor housing of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the distal portion of an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred drive means for use with the present invention;

FIG. 8A is an end view of an alternative embodiment of a rotor housing of the invention;

FIG. 8B is an exploded side view of the housing of FIG. 8A, as assembled; and

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a turbine for use in the drive means of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a side view in partial cross section of a distal portion of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

One preferred embodiment of a medical device of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4. This device generally includes an elongate, flexible shaft 10 carried within an elongate, generally tubular casing 20; a rotor 50 affixed to the shaft and carried within a rotor housing 70; and a drive means 100 operatively connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft.

The shaft 10 is elongate and generally cylindrical in shape and has a distal end 12 and a proximal end 14 (FIG. 7). The shaft is sized to be threaded, along with the rest of the device of the invention, along a vascular path within a patient's vascular system. The shaft will commonly have an outer diameter of between about 0.25 and about 1.5 mm, with a range of about 0.35 to about 0.65 mm being preferred. The length of the shaft can be varied fairly widely, depending upon the general types of locations within a vascular system intended to be accessed with the device. As a general rule, the shaft is desirably between about 50 cm and about 150 cm long, with a range of about 80 cm to about 100 cm providing a device which is useful for a wide variety of applications.

The shaft is desirably highly flexible so that it may be threaded through a patient's vascular system with ease. The shaft may be made of any of a wide variety of materials well known in the art, such as stainless steel. In one preferred embodiment, however, the shaft is formed of a shape memory alloy, such as a NiTi alloy. The use of such alloys in medical devices is known in the art and need not be discussed in great detail here. One important property of such alloys is that they exhibit superelasticity, i.e., they may be deflected to a much greater extent than most other metals, such as stainless steel before showing any permanent, plastic deformation. This property is explained in some detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,860 (Stice, et al.), the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. In the present invention, this permits the shaft 10 to be guided along a tortuous vascular path without introducing a permanent "set" in the wire. Accordingly, when the shaft is guided to the desired location and rotated (as described below), its rotation will be centered almost exclusively about the axis of the shaft.

If a non-shape memory alloy, such as stainless steel, were used to form the shaft, the shaft would tend to take a permanent set, i.e., undergo plastic deformation, as it is guided along a tortuous vascular path. This would introduce a degree of curvature in the distal portion of the shaft 10. When the shaft is rotated, it will not rotate merely about its axis, but will also tend to spin somewhat wildly due to the curvature of the wire. If the shaft includes a rotor for degrading solid matter within the blood stream, this "whip" can readily lead to puncture of the vessel walls, as noted above.

In an alternative embodiment, the shaft 10 is formed of a "drawn-brazed strand" (DBS) cable. Most cables, particularly those used in medical applications, comprise a plurality of independent wire strands which are wrapped in a generally helical fashion about a central core wire. Although such a cable does tend to resist plastic deformation somewhat better than a single, unitary wire formed of the same material at the same diameter, the central wire strand of such a cable will tend to undergo plastic deformation to an extent proportional to that experienced by the larger diameter unitary wire. In a DBS wire of the invention, a plurality of separate strands are wrapped in a helical fashion, but no central wire strand is employed. By eliminating this central wire, the primary cause of "whip" is eliminated, thereby substantially eliminating whip in the shaft when it is subjected to rotation. Once the individual wire strands (not shown) of a DBS wire of the invention have been twisted about o e another in a helical fashion, it is desirably drawn under pressure at high temperatures. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, this drawing and brazing of the wire can be used to meld the individual wire strands into a single wire having a larger diameter. Such a shaft generally appears the same as a solid wire, but the wire tends to retain some of the microstructure associated with the intertwined wire strands, yielding a wire with a tensile strength comparable to that of a cable. The individual wire strands used to form a DBS wire may be formed of any suitable material. As with the unitary, single strand shaft described above, the DBS shaft may also be formed of a shape memory alloy such as a NiTi alloy, if so desired.

As noted above, the shaft 10 is desirably carried within a shaft casing 20. The shaft casing is desirably generally tubular in shape such that the shaft 10 may be retained and rotated within the casing. As shown in FIG. 1, the shaft casing 20 desirably extends along and encloses substantially the entire length of the shaft between the drive means 100 and the housing 70. The shaft 10 should be rotatable within the shaft casing so that, as the drive means 100 causes the shaft to rotate, the shaft casing 20 remains substantially stationary with respect to the drive means. The shaft casing should be flexible and sized to permit it to be threaded along a vascular path as the device of the invention is positioned within a patient's vascular system. In a preferred embodiment, the shaft casing comprises a tubular outer sleeve 22 formed of a biologically inactive polymeric compound, such as polyurethane or the like.

FIG. 6 depicts an alternative embodiment of the tubular outer sleeve 22 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this embodiment, the outer sleeve is generally the same as described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, but the outer sleeve further includes an arcuate projection which extends generally radially outwardly toward one side of the sleeve 22, as shown. This projection 24 includes a guide wire tracking channel 26 which may extend along substantially the entire length of the projection. This tracking channel permits one to simply direct a guide wire to the desired location within a patient's vascular system and then direct the distal end of the present invention to that location by passing the guide wire through the channel 26 so that the device follows the path of the guide wire accurately. The projection desirably terminates at a position proximally of the rotor housing 70 so that it does not interfere with the flow of fluid during opera ion of the device.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the shaft casing 20 includes an elongate inner bearing 26 disposed between the outer sleeve 22 of the casing and the shaft 10 to reduce friction between the outer sleeve and the shaft. The bearing is desirably free-floating, i.e., it is not attached to any other element of the device, but rather is simply retained between the outer sleeve and the shaft. Although any of a wide variety of structures may be employed, one particularly useful design utilizes a helical coil, as shown in the drawings. Such helical coils are well known in the art and are most commonly used as structural elements of guide wires. They generally comprise an elongate wire strand, usually stainless steel wire, which is wrapped in a helical fashion about a mandrel and then removed from the mandrel.

In prior art devices wherein a rotating shaft is threaded through or carried within a catheter, a bearing generally is not employed. When the catheter and shaft of such a device are guided into position within a vascular system, the device almost always has to follow a curved path, and this path may include one or more relatively sharp angles. Where the path curves, the shaft tends to abutt against the inner wall of the catheter, which defines the path which the shaft must take. When the shaft is rotated, there tends to be friction between the shaft and the catheter wherever such contact occurs. Not only will this friction obviously tend to generate heat, but it also introduces torsional strain in the shaft by providing resistance to rotation at the point of contact. Although these disadvantages may have only marginal deleterious consequences at lower rotational speeds, they tend to be problematic at higher rotational speeds. At higher speeds, the heat generated by friction could lead to localized areas of elevated temperature wherein the temperature is high enough to begin degrading the blood within the vascular system and/or the surrounding tissue of the vascular wall. Furthermore, the torsional strain placed on the shaft could well reach a level sufficient to cause catastrophic structural failure of the shaft.

By employing an inner bearing 26 between the shaft and the outer sleeve 22, one can minimize these adverse effects. Wherever a curve in the path of the device occurs, the shaft will abut against the bearing, which in turn bears against the outer sleeve 22, thereby avoiding direct contact between the rotating shaft 10 and the stationary sleeve 22. The free-floating bearing acts as a buffer between these two parts, minimizing friction. By reducing friction, the excess heat generated and the torsional strain placed on the shaft are both kept to a minimum. Accordingly, this reduces damage to blood and tissue as well as greatly reducing the likelihood of experiencing catastrophic failure of the shaft.

If so desired, a standard "Y-type" connector may be attached to the outer sleeve 22 toward its distal end. These types of connectors are well known in the medical field and need not be discussed at great length here. Generally, though, they include a body portion 32 and an inlet tube 34. The body portion 32 is generally axially alligned with the outer sleeve 22 while the inlet tube 34 is angled distally outwardly from the body portion 32. The inlet tube 34 is in fluid communication with the interior of the shaft casing 20, permitting one to introduce any of a wide variety of fluids into the casing. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 (discussed at length below), the Y type connector is replaced by an infusion line 34', which may be formed of a length of flexible tubing or the like. The infusion line may be affixed to the sleeve 36 of the housing of the drive means 100 by means o of a Luer fitting 35' or the like. Like the inlet tube 34 of the Y-type connector, the infusion line 34' is in fluid communication with the interior of the shaft casing 20.

Fluids which may commonly be used in connection with the present device include saline solution, contrast medium (for enhancing the radiographic visibility of the device) and fibrinolytic solutions (for medically breaking down fibrin, a major component of most thrombi). When such a fluid is introduced through the inlet tube (FIG. 1) or infusion line (FIG. 7) and injected into the shaft sleeve, it will tend to flow out of the distal end thereof. This flow of fluid tends to act as a lubricating and cooling medium to further reduce the undesirable effects caused by friction as the shaft is rotated.

A rotor 50, which may also be referred to as an "impeller," is affixed to the shaft 10 adjacent the distal end thereof for rotation therewith. As best seen in FIG. 4, the rotor 50 generally includes a central body 52 having at least one blade 56 carried thereon. The central body 52 is desirably generally tubular in shape, having a cylindrical aperture 54 extending through the body along the axis thereof. As explained in more detail below, this aperture 54 is intended for receiving a portion of the shaft 10 adjacent its distal end 12. Any number of blades 56 may be carried about the central body 52. In the preferred embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the rotor 50 includes a pair of generally diametrically opposed blades 5 which extend generally radially outwardly of the central body 52. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, each of the blades is semi-elliptical in shape and is positioned diametrically opposite the other blade. Each blade is desirably positioned within a plane which obliquely intersects the axis A of the shaft, and the opposite blade is substantially a mirror imaqe of the first blade. This construction is not unlike that of the propeller of a prop style airplane, the oblique orientation of the blades 56 causing fluid to be thrust generally axially rearwardly of the rotor when the rotor is caused to rotate.

A particularly preferred embodiment of a rotor of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4A and B. In this embodiment, as in the previous one, the blades extend generally radially outwardly of the body 52 from diametrically opposite locations. However, in this "screw type" rotor, each blade spirals in a generally helical fashion along the length of the body. In the embodiment shown, each blade extends about approximately 180.degree. of the circumference of the body 52 between the blade's proximal 58 and distal 60 ends. The rate at which the blade 56 follows around the circumference of the body along its length can be varied as desired. In one embodiment which is found to be particularly useful, a plane within which a segment of the blade lies is oriented at an angle theta of approximately 40.degree. from a plane orthogonal to the axis A of the body 52.

As noted above, one of the major components of most thrombi is fibrin. As the name implies, fibrin is generally formed of elongate strands of a proteinaceous material. When the rotor 50 is rotated within a vascular channel to break up a thrombus, fibrin will tend to become wrapped around the body 52 of the rotor if the rotor is not accelerated from an initial stationary position to full rotational speed quickly enough. As described in more detail below, the drive means 100 of the invention is intended to permit sufficient torque to be applied to the shaft 10 to reach maximum rotational speed rather quickly to avoid this problem.

If so desired, a sharpened leading edge 62 may be provided adjacent the distal end 60 of each blade 56. In this embodiment, the leading edge of the blades do not lie in a plane orthogonal to the axis A of the body 52 as do the trailing edges 64 at the proximal end 58 of the blades. Instead, the leading edge lies within a plane which is angularly displaced from an orthogonal plane through an angle alpha. This angle alpha is desirably between about 30 and about 60.degree., with a range of between about 40 and about 45.degree. being preferred. This provides a sharp, acute angle at the distal end of the blade, permitting the sharpened distal edge of the blade to slice the fibrin before it can become twisted about the rotor.

The rotor may be affixed to the shaft by any suitable means. In a preferred embodiment, a distal portion of the shaft 10 is received within the aperture 54 formed in the body 52 of the rotor. The shaft may then be permanently adhered to the rotor in any desirable fashion, such as by brazing or by means of a curable, biologically inert cementitious material.

A thrombectomy device of the invention also includes a rotor housing 70 carried about the rotor and within which the rotor rotates. The housing comprises a generally cylindrical wall 72 having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the rotor 50 so that the rotor may freely rotate within this housing. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the inner diameter of the housing 70 is only slightly greater than the outer diameter of the rotor 50. This close proximity between the rotor and the wall 72 of the housing increases the shear force applied to a fluid passing through the housing as the rotor is rotated. This heightened shear force will serve to further break up the thrombus carried within the blood, permitting the rotor to more rapidly degrade a thrombus entrained in the fluid into sufficiently small particles. The axis A.sub.H of the housing 70 is desirably substantially aligned with the axes of the rotor 50 and shaft 10.

The rotor housing 70 includes a plurality of ports 74 which pass through the cylindrical wall 72. For reasons explained in more detail below, the ports are desirably spaced equiangularly about the circumference of the housing. The rotor 50 is desirably positioned generally toward the distal end 78 of the housing, as shown in FIG. 2. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the ports 74 are positioned about the wall 72 of the housing immediately distally behind the rotor 50.

When the rotor is rotated within a blood vessel, the blood therein will tend to be thrusted generally proximally by the rotor, as noted above. This creates a pressure differential between the area immediately forward of the rotor and that immediately behind the rotor, with the pressure behind the rotor being significantly greater than that immediately in front of the rotor. This increased pressure behind the rotor increases the pressure within the housing, and blood is therefore ejected through the ports 74. As the ports are positioned about the cylindrical wall slightly behind the rotor, the blood passing therethrouqh exit the housing 70 relatively close to the distal end 78 of the housing. The low pressure adjacent the distal end of the rotor tends to draw the blood being expelled through the ports back through the rotor, thereby creating a recirculating vortex wherein a substantial portion of the fluid exiting through the ports tends to pass through the rotor repeatedly.

When a thrombus is drawn into the housing by the rotor, the rotor will tend to divide it into a number of smaller particles, which may well remain too large. However, these particles will be entrained in the blood expelled through the ports and will therefore tend to be drawn back into the rotor and become degraded even further. After a sufficient number of passes through this recirculating vortex, the thrombus may be broken into a large number of very small, discrete particles. These particles may be made small enough to substantially eliminate the risk that they would tend to cause blood to coagulate about them again to produce additional thrombi or cause any distal embolization.

When in use, the rotor will usually be positioned within the confines of a vascular channel adjacent the location, or suspected location, of a thrombus. When the rotor is rotated and causes blood to be ejected through the ports 74, the ejected fluid will impinge upon the vascular wall, tending to urge the housing away from the vascular wall as a reaction to this impinqinq fluid. If each of the three or more equiangularly spaced ports are of substantially the same size, the fluid volume passing through each port and the rate at which the fluid is expelled from the ports will be substantially equivalent. Accordingly, the reactionary force acting against the housing to urge the housing away from the vascular wall will become equalized when each of the plurality of equiangularly spaced, similarly sized ports are approximately the same distance away from the vascular wall. Thus, the fluid flowing through the ports in the housing will tend to automatically center the housing and the rotor within the vascular channel when the rotor rotates.

If a force is applied to urge the housing away from its centered location, e.q., if the shaft 10 is deformed and begins to "whip," the force associated with the blood being expelled through the ports will tend to rapidly urge the housing away from the vascular wall. Thus, the housing will not only automatically be centered when in use, but it will tend to remain centered within the vascular channel. If only two ports are utilized (as in the device shown in FIG. 1), though, the housing may not remain centered. The fluid expelled through the two diametrically opposed ports will tend to ensure that the housing remains equally spaced from portions of the vascular wall along a line passing through both of the ports, i.e., in a horizontal plane in FIG. 1. However, if a force tends to urge the housing in a direction other than along that line (i.e., upwardly or downwardly in FIG. 1), the fluid will not be expelled in a direction which would permit it to counteract this displacement and urge the housing toward the center of the vessel. Hence, the use of three or more equiangularly spaced ports is preferred due to its ability to cause the housing to remain centered within the vascular channel.

The housing may be provided with a generally inwardly extending distal bead 76 adjacent its distal end. This distal bead is desirably rounded to provide the housing with a rounded distal end 78 for contacting tissue as the device is deployed within a vascular system. The distal bead may be formed on the housing by inwardly deforming a distal portion of the cylindrical wall to form an annular bead disposed within a distal segment of the housing. Two possible bead constructions are best seen in FIG. 5, which depicts one useful shape, and FIGS. 8 and 9, which show an alternative embodiment of such a bead. Such a rounded distal end 78 tends to be less traumatic than either the mor blunt distal end 78 shown in FIG. 2 or an exposed rotor 50 which is not surrounded by a housing, as is most common in the prior art.

As noted above, this distal bead 76 is desirably generally inwardly extending, though it may also extend outwardly of the cylindrical wall 72 of the housing. The inner diameter of the housing adjacent its distal end, i.e., adjacent the distal bead 76, is desirably less than the maximum outer diameter of the rotor 50. This serves as a further safety measure in that if the shaft 10 breaks, the rotor will be unable to pass through the distal end of the housing. This prevents the rotor and a broken off distal portion of the shaft from becoming left within the blood stream of the patient if the shaft does indeed fail.

FIG. 8 depicts an alternative construction of the housing 70 of the invention. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and B and FIG. 5, the housing is desirably integrally formed of a single, unitary piece of material, such as surgical stainless steel. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, however, the housing 70 is formed of two separate elements which can be affixed to one another when assembling the invention. The cylindrical wall 72 which is carried about the rotor forms a first, distal element which can be permanently attached to the other, proximal segment 90 by any suitable means, such as by brazing. The proximal segment 90 has a central apertur 92 extending centrally therethrough for rotatably receiving the shaft 10 to position a proximal portion of the shaft and the rotor attached thereto in the center of the cylindrical distal segment 72.

A plurality of fins 79 (described in more detail below) are positioned equiangularly about a generally frustoconical housing insert 94. The insert 94 and the fins are sized to be closely received within the confines of the cylindrical wall 72 when the housing is assembled. The insert desirably tapers radially outwardly in a proximal direction from an initial outer diameter only slightly greater than that of the shaft 10 to an outer diameter adjacent its proximal end generally equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 72. Although this taper may be generally linear, in the preferred embodiment shown the rate of taper is much greater adjacent its proximal end. This directs fluid being thrust proximally through the housing radially outwardly through the ports 74, reducing the tendency of fluid exiting the housing to flow in a proximal direction, so that the fluid may be drawn back into the recirculating vortex explained above.

An annular abutment 96 may be provided adjacent the proximal end of the housing insert 94. This abutment has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 72 and thus serves to abut the proximal end of the wall when the housing is assembled. If so desired, the wall 72 may be affixed directly to this abutment. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of the abutment 96 is substantially equal to that of the cylindrical wall to provide the housing with a smooth outer surface.

As noted above, the housing insert 94 may include a plurality of fins 79 positioned equiangularly about its circumference. The number of fins employed is desirably equal to the number of ports 74 in the housing, and one fin may be positioned immediately adjacent each port. If so desired, the fins may be parallel to the major axis of their respective, generally elliptical ports. When the device is assembled, the rotor 50 will be positioned distally of the housing insert 94; the fins will therefore be positioned proximally of the rotor. As fluid is thrust proximally within the housing 70 by the rotor, it must pass over the fins before exiting the housing. Any solid matter, such as a thrombus, entrained within the fluid will strike the fins, which form a part of the housing and are thus stationary with respect to the spinning rotor. Solid matter will tend to be broken up when it impacts the fins, so the fins serve to speed up the degradation of thrombi or the like within the fluid.

A connector 80 may extend proximally of the cylindrical wall 72 of the rotor housing 70 and permit the housing to be attached to the distal end of the shaft casing 20. The connector 80 includes a first segment 82 adjacent and connected to the cylindrical wall 72 of the housing. The outer diameter of this first segment 82 is desirably substantially equal to the inner diameter of the outer sleeve 22 of the shaft casing adjacent its distal end so the first segment 82 may be closely received within and retained by a distal portion of the outer sleeve 22. The outer diameter of the cylindrical wall 72 of the housing is desirably substantially equal to the outer diameter of the shaft casing 20 to present a relatively smooth outer surface at the junction between the housing and the shaft casing. The decrease in diameter between the cylindrical wall 72 and the first segment 82 may be relatively abrupt, defining a generally rearwardly facing annular shoulder 84 for abutting the distal end of the outer sleeve 22. In order to ensure that the housing is firmly affixed to the shaft casing, the first segment 82 may be cemented to the lumen of the outer sleeve by means of an epoxy or the like (not shown).

The connector 80 may also include a second segment 86 which is disposed proximally of the first segment 82 and is attached thereto. The maximum dimension of this second segment is desirably larger than the inner diameter of the inner bearing 26. The second segment thus serves to distally limit the axial movement of the inner bearing and serves to retain the bearing in place about the shaft 10 within the outer sleeve 22.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the second segment 86 is generally rectangular in cross section, as indicated in FIGS. 3A and B, rather than being generally cylindrical. The second segment may be substantially solid in cross section, but includes a central aperture passing therethrough for receiving the shaft 10. The axis of this cylindrical aperture is preferably substantially aligned with the axis of the shaft and the aperture is sized to permit the shaft to freely rotate therein. The second segment thus serves to support the shaft in a spaced relationship with respect to the shaft casing 20 and helps to ensure that the rotor is axially centered within the cylindrical wall of the housing rather than abutting against the wall. Utilizing a generally rectangularly shaped second segment having maximum dimensions less than the diameter of the first segment 82 provides a space between the second segment and the shaft casing 20. This space allows fluids, such as the contrast mediums or fibrinolyitic solutions noted above, to pass distally from within the casing through the housing and into the vascular channel.

FIG. 10 depicts an alternative embodiment of a rotor housing 70 and connector 80 of the invention. In this embodiment, the connector does not include a second segment 86 disposed rearwardly of the first section 82. Instead, a coiled support member 86' is utilized. The support member 86' is carried within the first segment 82 and extends along the length thereof from a position adjacent the annular shoulder 84 to the proximal end of the first segment. The support member desirably comprises a widely spaced helical coil formed of a wire having a diameter adapted to extend radially inwardly of the first segment a sufficient distance to provide lateral support to the shaft 10 carried within the helical coil. The axes of the shaft, the first segment and the helical support member 86' are desirably substantially aligned with one another.

Adjacent turns of the helically coiled wire are desirably spaced apart from one another. This permits fluid to pass through the support member 86' at relatively high flow rates as the space between the adjacent turns effectively defines a generally helical path along which fluid may freely flow between the interior of the shaft casing 20 and the rotor housing 70. The direction of this fluid flow is schematically represented by arrows in FIG. 10 and, as indicated by the bi-directional character of these arrows, fluid may flow in either direction along this helical channel--if one is aspirating fluid from within the vascular channel, the fluid would flow generally proximally, while fluid would flow generally distally if one were delivering a fibrinolytic solution or the like into the vessel through the shaft casing.

The connector 80 of the housing is desirably also provided with a shaft support sleeve 88 for supportingly receiving a portion of the shaft adjacent its distal end. The support sleeve 88 may be of any desired construction, but preferably comprises a thin walled stainless steel tube, known in the art as a "hypotube," having a length of between about 0.25 and about 0.35 inches in length. The sleeve is sized to permit the shaft to rotate freely therein, yet limit lateral movement of the shaft so that it may stabilize the shaft in a position wherein the axis of its distal portion is substantially aligned with the axis A.sub.H of the housing. The support sleeve 88 may extend distally through the first 82 and second 86 segments of the housing (or the first segment 82 and the support member 86' in the embodiment of FIG. 10) to a position within the rotor housing 70 immediately adjacent the rotor 50 (as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 10).

The present invention also includes a drive means 100 for rotating the shaft 10 within the shaft casing 20 to cause the rotor 50 to rotate. Any suitable drive means may be used, but it is preferred that the drive means be capable of rapidly rotating the shaft and the rotor. As noted above, a rotor of the invention is desirably rotated at speeds between about 80,000 and about 150,000 rpm, with an operating range of between about 100,000-135,000 rpm being preferred.

Although the drive means may be of any type which will rotate the shaft 10 and rotor 50 at the desired speed, such as a high-speed electric motor, in a preferred embodiment an air-driven turbine is employed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, this drive means includes a housing 102 having first and second sections (104 and 106, respectively). The first and second sections 104, 106 are adapted to be sealinqly affixed to one another to define a short, substantially air tight cylinder. The first section 104 desirably comprises a substantially flat, circular disc.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the second section 106 comprises a generally flat, circular distal face 110 and a peripheral wall 108 extends generally perpendicularly laterally from this face 110. The diameter of the first section 104 of the housing is greater than the inner diameter of the peripheral wall 108 and may be substantially equal to the outer diameter of that wall. Although the housing may be formed of any suitable material, in the preferred embodiment it is formed of a polymeric material, such as a high density, machinable plastic, which may be sonically welded to permit the first and second sections 104, 106 to be sealingly affixed to one another with ease.

As depicted in FIG. 1, an air inlet 120 and an air outlet 134 may be provided in and extend radially outwardly through the peripheral wall 108. The air inlet includes an inlet tube 124 which extends through the inlet port 122 in the housing and is adapted for attachment to an air supply. In most operating theaters, a pressurized air supply is provided, with pressures usually in the range of about 35 to about 50 psi. The inlet tube is preferably configured to be sealingly received within and retained at one end of a length of flexible hosing (not shown), the other end of which may be operatively attached to the pressurized air supply to direct pressurized air to the drive means 100 through the inlet tube 124.

As noted above, the drive means 100 desirably also includes an air outlet 134. This air outlet allows air to escape the housing 102 so that a continuous flow of air may flow into the housing through the air inlet 120. The air outlet 134 may be positioned substantially anywhere on the housing. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, though, the air outlet comprises a port which extends radially outwardly through the peripheral wall 108. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the air outlet 134 is positioned about the circumference of the peripheral wall relatively close to the air inlet in a direction opposite the direction of flow of air within the housing (generally clockwise in FIG. 1). In this manner, air entering the housing through the inlet 120 is forced to travel around most of the circumference of the housing before it may exit through the air outlet, serving to more rapidly accelerate the turbine to full rotational speed. In one preferred embodiment, the air outlet is provided with an outlet tube 138 carried externally of the housing to direct the flow of air exiting the housing.

An alternative embodiment of a drive means 100 which has been found to work particularly well with the present invention is shown in FIG. 7. The construction of this drive means is similar to that described above for the embodiment of FIG. 1. In particular, the housing 102 has a generally flat, circular first section 104 which is sealinqly affixed to the second section 106 to define a short, substantially air-tight cylindrical housing. Once again, this housing is desirably formed of a machinable polymeric material which may be sonically welded to sealinqly affix the first and second sections 104, 106 to one another.

The positions of the air inlet 120 and air outlet 134 in this embodiment differ from those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, though. In the present embodiment, both the air inlet and the air outlet pass through the first section 104 of the housing, i.e., at the housing's proximal end. The air inlet 120 includes an inlet port 122 which passes through the first section 104 of the housing and within which is retained an inlet tube 124. An air supply connector 126 may be provided for sealinqly receiving an air supply, such as a length of flexible housing 123, in fluid communication with the inlet tube 124. At its distal end, the inlet tube 124 includes a terminal segment 130 which is positioned immediately adjacent the turbine 150, as explained in more detail below. A venturi segment 128 is provided in the inlet tube between the proximal end of the inlet tube and the terminal segment 130. The venturi segment has a larger diameter at its proximal end than at its distal end where it is sealinqly affixed to the terminal segment. As is well known in the art, this relatively rapid drop in cross sectional area along the venturi segment will tend to accelerate the flow of fluid, i.e., air, as it passes from the air supply to the terminal segment 130 of the inlet tube. The axis of the inlet tube 124 is desirably substantially aligned with the axis of the generally cylindrical housing 102 so that the terminal segment 130 of the inlet tube may be positioned centrally within the housing immediately adjacent the axis of the turbine 150, as explained below.

As noted above, the air outlet 134 of the present embodiment desirably passes through the first section 104 of the housing 102. In this manner, air may be vented rearwardly out of the housing. In the preferred embodiment shown, the air outlet 134 includes an outlet port 136 which extends through the first section 104 of the housing. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a plurality of such outlet ports are utilized, the outlet ports being spaced equiangularly about the axis of the cylindrical housing with the axes (not shown) of the outlet ports 136 being generally parallel to and spaced radially outwardly from the axis of the housing. If so desired, a baffle means 140 may be provided in each outlet port 136 to diffuse the flow of air out of the housing. In one preferred embodiment, the baffle means 140 comprises a generally porous, sponge-like material which dampens the flow of air, yet permits air to pass therethrough.

The drive means 100 also includes a turbine 150 which may be caused to rotate by the flow of air through the inlet tube 124 of the air inlet. Any of a wide variety of suitable turbines may be utilized, but a preferred embodiment of a turbine for use with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. This turbine 150 may be formed as two separate elements, i.e., a distal segment 152 and a proximal segment 154, which are joined together to produce the turbine after being independently formed. As best seen in FIG. 9, the distal segment 152 of the turbine is generally disk-shaped and includes a plurality of generally triangular, wedge-shaped upright projections 156 spaced about its periphery. Opposing walls of adjacent projections are desirably spaced apart from and generally parallel to one another to define an uprightly open channel 158 therebetween. The wedges and resulting channels are desirably spaced equiangularly about the periphery of the distal segment 152.

The upright projections 156 desirably do not extend all the way to the center of the disk-shaped distal segment, but rather extend inwardly from the periphery a specified distance, which may be on the order of one-half the radius of the distal segment 152. This defines a generally circular central portion 160 which is bounded about its periphery by the inner edges of the upright projections 156. The channels 158 are desirably oriented generally tangentially with respect to the periphery of this central portion 160 so that as air strikes the center of the turbine, as explained in more detail below, it will be urged tangentially outwardly through the channels 158 and cause the turbine to spin. As also explained more fully below, the central portion 160 of the distal segment of the turbine is generally conical in shape and comes to a peak 162 generally along the axis of the disk-shaped distal segment. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the central portion 160 has a generally elliptical profile (as best seen in the cross sectional view of FIG. 7) rather than having a substantially flat incline.

The proximal portion 154 of the turbine is also generally disk-shaped and desirably has an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the distal segment 152. The proximal segment generally includes a central portion 170 and a peripheral portion 169 extending radially outwardly of the central portion. The peripheral portion 169 includes a plurality of fingers 168 which extend generally tangentially outwardly of the central portion 170. These fingers are adapted to be matingly received within, and fill a portion of, the channels 158 in the distal segment 152. In a preferred embodiment, the fingers 168 are generally rectangular in cross section and extend generally downwardly in FIG. 9 to define between adjacent fingers a generally triangular, wedge-shaped recess for matingly receiving the upward projections 156 of the distal segment. Although the depth of the fingers may be varied as desired, they desirably extend downwardly within the channels 158 to a depth of approximately one half the depth of the channel.

The distal and proximal segments 152, 154 are desirably formed of an injection moldable polymeric material which may be sonically welded. This permits the individual segments to be accurately and inexpensively produced by injection molding and permits the segments to be permanently affixed to one another by the process of sonic welding. If so desired, a plurality of sacrificial nibs 166 may be spaced about the proximal and/or distal segments. During the sonic welding process, these sacrificial nibs will be broken down and will serve as a weldment for securely attaching the proximal and distal segments to one another.

The central portion 170 of the proximal segment 154 desirably includes a centrally located, generally frustoconical cap 174. When the turbine 150 is assembled, the cap will be spaced away from the central portion 160 of the distal segment to define an air flow chamber (175 in FIG. 7) therebetween. The cap includes a central port 176 through which a stream of air may pass and an upstanding lip 177 may be provided about this port. The thickness of the lip 177 may decrease proximally, as shown in FIG. 7.

As best seen in FIG. 7, when the drive means 100 is assembled, the axis of the turbine 150 substantially coincides with that of the housing 102 of the drive means and inlet tube 124 of the air inlet. The turbine is positioned immediately distally of the inlet tube. The upstanding lip 177 of the proximal segment 154 of the turbine is desirably positioned immediately adjacent the distal end of the terminal segment 130 of the inlet tube; if so desired, a short length of the lip 177 may even be rotatably positioned within the distal end of the terminal segment. This ensures that air flowing into the drive means through the inlet tube 124 will flow directly into the chamber 175 of the turbine. The air within this chamber is forced out of the turbine through the tangentially oriented channels 158 of the distal segment, causing the turbine to spin about its axis. The air then flows into the rest of the housing 102 and exits rearwardly through the air outlet 134, as described above.

As noted above, the venturi segment 128 of the inlet tube serves to accelerate the flow of air through the tube. The air thus enters the chamber 175 at a rather high flow rate, which serves to relatively rapidly accelerate the turbine to its full rotational velocity. Furthermore, by forming the turbine of relatively light weight polymeric materials, the moment of inertia of the turbine will be reduced and the turbine may be accelerated even more rapidly.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the shaft 10 of the device is connected to the turbine 150 for rotation therewith by means of a drive coupling 180. The drive coupling may be attached to the turbine and the shaft by any suitable means. In the embodiment shown, the turbine includes a generally cylindrical drive coupling recess for receiving the tubular drive coupling 180 and the drive coupling may be fixed within this recess. The drive coupling 180 desirably also includes a central recess (not separately shown) within which the shaft 10 may be received and within which the shaft may be affixed.

The drive means 100 desirably includes a distally extending, manually graspable sleeve 36, which may be formed integrally with the second section 106 of the housing. If so desired, the outer surface of this sleeve may be provided with a rougher texture (as shown in FIG. 1) to permit the sleeve to be more readily and more securely grasped by an operator of the device. The sleeve 36 is desirably tubular in shape and is adapted to receive the drive coupling 180 and a proximal portion of the shaft 10 therewithin. In order to ensure that the axes of the drive coupling 180 and turbine 150 substantially coincide with that of the sleeve 36, bearings 184 may be utilized. In the embodiment shown, two sets of bearings are used, with one being carried adjacent the distal end of the drive coupling and the other being spaced proximally at a location adjacent the drive coupling recess 182 of the turbine. Any suitable bearing may be used, but the bearing should permit the drive coupling 180 to freely rotate with respect to the sleeve 36 as the turbine and shaft are rotated.

In the embodiment shown, the sleeve 36 is elogate in shape and serves to encase structural elements of the device in addition to the drive coupling 180 and bearings 184. In the embodiment shown, a spacer 188 is carried within the sleeve at a position immediately distally adjacent the drive coupling 180. The spacer is generally tubular in shape and is adapted to be closely received within the sleeve 36. The spacer includes a central bore 190 extending through its length, the bore being sized to rotatably receive both the shaft 10 and the inner bearing 26 previously described and support these elements generally centrally along the axis of the sleeve. As noted above, the bearing 26 is not affixed to any other element of the device, including the spacer 188, but rather is "free floating." The spacer 188 may be affixed within the lumen of the sleeve 36.

In order to ensure a substantially fluid tight seal, an O-ring 192 or the like may be positioned between the spacer and the inner wall of the sleeve. This prevents the fluid used to drive the turbine, i.e., air, from entering the shaft casing 20 and flowing into the bloodstream. Also, it prevents fluids within the casing, such as blood or fluids which are delivered to the casing 20 through infusion line 30', from entering the housing 102 of the drive means. A portion of the spacer immediately adjacent the attachment of the infusion line 30' to the sleeve 36 is desirably spaced away from the inner wall of the sleeve in order to permit fluid to pass from the infusion line into the casing as previously explained.

Although the outer sleeve 22 of the shaft casing may be affixed directly to the sleeve 36, in a preferred embodiment the outer sleeve is affixed to a swivel connector 194 retained by the sleeve. The swivel connector includes a body 196 which is retained within the lumen of the sleeve and a distal extension 195 which protrudes distally out of the sleeve through the sleeve's distal exit 38. In order to restrict the flow of fluid from the infusion line 30' so that it will only pass into the shaft casing 20, an O-ring 196 may be disposed between the body 196 of the swivel connector and the sleeve 36. The swivel connector is desirably rotatable within the lumen of the sleeve, and a bushing 198 or the like may be utilized to ensure that the swivel connector can rotate freely with respect to the sleeve. The tubular distal extension 195 may extend forwardly of the sleeve, as noted above, and desirably is adapted to closely receive the outer sleeve 22 of the shaft casing therein. If so desired, the outer sleeve may extend along substantially the entire length of the swivel connector. The outer sleeve 22 may be sealinqly affixed to the swivel connector by any suitable means which will afford a generally fluid tight seal between the swivel connector and the shaft casing 20.

By providing a drive means 100 such as that described above, a readily available pressurized air supply may be utilized to rotate the shaft 10 and rotor 50 of the device. As noted above, the design of the preferred embodiment is configured to maximize the acceleration of the shaft. It was also noted above that if the shaft is accelerated too slowly, there is a risk that fibrin contained within a thrombus may become wrapped about the rotor rather than being broken into a number of pieces thereby. By providing a turbine which will rapidly accelerate the shaft from an initial stationary state to its full rotational speed, this risk is minimized and substantially all of the fibrin contained within a thrombus may be degraded into very small, discrete pieces.

A number of experiments have been carried out utilizing the invention described above. First, bench tests were performed in vitro by first artificially producing thrombi and then breaking down the thrombi with the present invention. Human blood clots were produced by mixing packed red blood cells and whole plasma with calcium chloride and allowing the blood to clot and consolidate for a period of 7-10 days. This produces a clot with a moderate degree of fibrin content but not a great deal of calcification. The clots so formed ranged in length from about 3 to about 10 cm and were between 1 cm and about 3 cm in diameter. These artificially produced clots were then placed in test tubes and the distal end of a device according to the invention was placed within a test tube. Air was supplied to the drive means 100 to turn the rotor at between about 100,000 and about 135,000 rpm. The homogenized material was then filtered through a series of nylon screens having varying pore sizes. The first screen had a 200 micron pore size, the second was 100 microns, the third was 47 microns, and the final screen had 13 micron pores.

It was found that by driving the rotor when it is positioned at or adjacent the site of the clot for a period of between 15 and 45 seconds, clots could be substantially completely degraded into rather fine particles. The larger clots would generally require longer periods of time, such as 45 seconds, in order to be completely degraded, while smaller clots may be degraded in 15 seconds or less. As a result of this testing, it was found that the invention may readily degrade thrombi in less than a minute to a point wherein 99.76% by weight of the thrombus will pass through a 13 micron screen. Of the remaining 1/4 of 1%, approximately 0.10% of the particles exceeded 200 microns, 0.03% were between 200 and 100 microns in size, 0.05% were between 100 and 47 microns, and 0.8% of the particles, by weight, were between 47 and 13 microns in size. As it is generally accepted that particle sizes less than about 90-100 microns do not pose any significant risk of forming additional thrombi if left within the bloodstream, these results indicate that the invention can degrade upwards of 99.8% of a thrombus to essentially harmlessly sized particles in less than a minute.

Animal testing has also been conducted. Artificial blood clots were formed in mongrel dogs in a manner similar to that noted above. By known techniques, the invention was guided to a position wherein the rotor was adjacent the suspected location of such a clot and the rotor was actuated by supplying air to the drive means 100. The dogs were then sacrificed and a series of tests were performed to determine the level of hemolysis (rupturing of the red blood cells) and to ensure that no damage was done to the intima of the vessels. In none of these tests was any clinically significant degree of hemolysis or trauma to the vessel walls noted. Over 90% of the animals tested averaged 97% dissolution of the artificially created occlusive clot. As a "successful" dissolution is generally defined as improving vessel patency, i.e., widening the opening in the vessel, by 50%, these results indicate that the device is highly successful in degrading thrombi within the vessels of a living mammal without any appreciable degree of harm to the blood cells or to the vessel walls.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.