Apparatus and method for fragmenting and aspirating materials from a body lumen

Abstract

A device for insertion into a body lumen includes an operator unit which may be hand held by an operator. A cannula is operatively associated with the operator unit and the cannula includes two parallel lumens. At least one of two lumens terminates at its distal end before the distal end of the other lumen and wherein one of the two lumens is contained at most partially within the other lumen.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for insertion into a body lumen comprising:
 a operator unit adapted to be held by an operator;   a cannula operatively associated with the operator unit;   the cannula including at least two parallel lumens;   wherein at least one of the at least two lumens terminates at its distal end before the distal end of the other of the at least two lumens.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one lumen which terminates before the distal end of the other of the at least two lumens is contained at most partially within the at least one other lumen which extends beyond the distal end of the at least one lumen which terminates before the distal end of the at least two lumens. 
     
     
         3 . A device for insertion into a body lumen comprising:
 a operator unit adapted to be held by an operator;   a cannula operatively associated with the operator unit;   the cannula including at least two parallel lumens;   wherein at least one of the at least two lumens is contained at most partially within the at least one other lumen.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the cannula is operatively associated with the operator unit at the proximal end of the cannula. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein one of the at least two parallel lumens is adapted for receiving an optical fiber and the other of the at least two parallel lumens is adapted for one or more of aspiration and irrigation of materials within the body lumen. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the operator unit includes one or more controls to manipulate one or more of the optical fiber and the one or more of the aspiration and irrigation of materials within the body lumen. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the at least one lumen terminating before the distal end of the other of the at least two lumens is wholly outside of the other of the at least two lumens. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the control to manipulate the optical fiber includes a wheel operatively associated with the operator unit which one of directly or indirectly engages the optical fiber to advance the optical fiber within the operator unit. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein at least two rollers are operatively connected with the wheel, the at least two rollers being engageable with the optical fiber therebetween and wherein movement of the wheel causes the optical fiber to move due to contact with the moving at least two rollers. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the at least two rollers is of a resilient material. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the control to manipulate the optical fiber includes a mechanism to disengage the wheel from the optical fiber such that the operator may manually advance the optical fiber. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more controls for one or more of aspiration and irrigation of materials includes a mechanical switch and a flexible tube operatively associated with the mechanical switch, wherein the mechanical switch, when depressed, engages and at least partially collapses the flexible tube to stop one of: aspiration or irrigation of materials in the body lumen. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the mechanism includes a tube for containing the optical fiber, and wherein the tube is movable from a first position to a second position, in the second position being interposed between the at least two rollers such that an optical fiber within the tube is not engaged with the at least two rollers and may be advanced by the operator without movement of the wheel.