Surgical instrument

Abstract

A medical device is provided for removing material from a body vessel comprising a tube, a drive shaft extending through the tube, a cutter member rotatable around its access having a tip and relatively sharp cutting edges extending outwardly from the access, and a housing enclosing the cutting edges of the cutter member so that the tip of the cutter member extends outside the housing to cut material in cooperation with the housing.

1 . A medical device for removing material from a body vessel comprising: 
 a tube;    a drive shaft;    a cutter member rotatable around its axis having a tip and relatively sharp cutting edges extending outwardly from the axis; and    a housing enclosing the cutting edges of the cutter member so that the tip of the cutter member extends outside the housing to cut material in cooperation with the housing.    
     
     
         2 . A medical device for removing material from a body vessel comprising: 
 a tube;    a drive shaft extending through the tube;    a rotatable screw attached to the drive shaft and having a tip and sharp edges;    a generally cylindrical housing enclosing the sharp edge of the screw so that the tip of the screw extends outside the housing and enters the tissue and the sharp edge in cooperation with the housing cuts the tissue; and    wherein the tip of the screw is blunt to minimize the trauma.    
     
     
         3 . A medical device for cutting tissue from a body vessel comprising: 
 a tube;    a drive shaft extending through the tube;    a rotatable screw attached to the drive shaft and having a sharp edge; and    a housing for the screw extending around a portion of the screw, the housing having a leading inner edge so that the sharp edges and the leading inner edge cooperate to cut the tissue and wherein the tip of the screw extends beyond the leading inner edge and wherein the tip of the screw is blunt to minimize trauma.