A tissue-removing catheter includes an elongate catheter body. The catheter body has a jogged portion that applies an urge force against a body lumen wall and urges a portion of the catheter body toward a portion of the body lumen wall. A tissue-removing element removes tissue from the body lumen during the cutting operation. The tissue-removing element is located generally adjacent the portion of the catheter body that is urged toward the body lumen wall by the jogged portion. An urging mechanism selectively applies a compressive load to the catheter body to adjust the bending stiffness of the jogged portion and the urge force applied by the jogged portion.

The present disclosure is directed to a device. The device may include a distal shaft defining a central lumen and an orienting element comprising at least one inflatable member. Wherein a first portion of the orienting element extending from the shaft in a first direction and a second portion of the orienting element extending from the shaft in a second direction. Further, wherein the second direction is substantially opposite the first direction.

A catheter includes a tissue-removing element and a tissue-containment chamber configured to receive tissue removed by the tissue-removing element. The tissue-containment chamber has a tissue-removing opening for use in removing tissue from the chamber. A closure component is associated with the tissue-removing opening for selectively opening and closing the opening.

An atherectomy catheter includes an elongate catheter body, a cutter at a distal end of the catheter body, and a nosecone attached to a distal end of the catheter body. The cutter is configured to excise tissue from the body. The nosecone is configured to hold tissue excised from the cutter. The nosecone includes a distal section, a proximal section, and a connection mechanism that is configured to allow the distal section to attach and detach from the proximal section during use. The distal section includes a plug configured to sit within an inner diameter of the proximal section when the proximal section is connected to the distal section.

A catheter for removing tissue from a body lumen includes a rotatable cutter. The cutter includes an annular cutting tip at the distal end portion of the cutter for removing tissue from the body lumen. An axial cavity is defined by an interior surface of the cutter and extends proximally from the annular cutting tip toward the proximal end portion of the cutter. An eccentric opening extends from the central cavity through the cutter to allow tissue removed from the body lumen by the annular cutting tip to pass proximally through the eccentric opening toward an interior passage of the catheter body. The offset opening is offset from the longitudinal axis of the cutter.

A tissue-removing catheter includes a tissue-removing element operably connected to a drive shaft for rotation of the tissue-removing element about an axis of rotation in a cutting direction. The tissue-removing element is, in some embodiments, an integrally formed one-piece body. The tissue-removing element has a tissue-removing head that includes a plurality of shearing members spaced apart around the axis of rotation. Channels separate the plurality of shearing members and extend through the radially outer surface of the tissue-removing head. In some embodiments, the shearing members include respective wedge portions that hook and cleave tissue as the tissue-removing element rotates.

A method of removing material from a blood flow lumen generally includes providing a device having a cutting element and an opening, advancing the device through the blood flow lumen to a site where material is to be removed, forcing the opening toward a wall of the site where material is to be removed, and moving the cutting element and the opening so that material in the blood flow lumen is cut by the cutting element and directed into the opening for removal as the cutting element and opening are moved through the blood flow lumen. In some embodiments, the device may be deflected or bent to force the opening toward a wall to remove material. The cutting element may be rotatable and may have an axis that is movable, that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, or both.

A method of removing material from a blood flow lumen generally includes providing a device having a cutting element and an opening, advancing the device through the blood flow lumen to a site where material is to be removed, forcing the opening toward a wall of the site where material is to be removed, and moving the cutting element and the opening so that material in the blood flow lumen is cut by the cutting element and directed into the opening for removal as the cutting element and opening are moved through the blood flow lumen. In some embodiments, the device may be deflected or bent to force the opening toward a wall to remove material. The cutting element may be rotatable and may have an axis that is movable, that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, or both.

A tissue-removing catheter includes an elongate catheter body. The catheter body has a jogged portion that applies an urge force against a body lumen wall and urges a portion of the catheter body toward a portion of the body lumen wall. A tissue-removing element removes tissue from the body lumen during the cutting operation. The tissue-removing element is located generally adjacent the portion of the catheter body that is urged toward the body lumen wall by the jogged portion. An urging mechanism selectively applies a compressive load to the catheter body to adjust the bending stiffness of the jogged portion and the urge force applied by the jogged portion.

A transseptal needle or punch. The transseptal punch includes a stylet with a tube with a side window and a cutting wire disposed within the tube, with a sharp cutting segment disposed proximate the window. The sharp cutting segment can be expanded radially outwardly from the window by translation of the cutting wire proximal end within the tube.