the details of the percutaneous thrombectomy device 100 may be best appreciated with reference to the figures . fig1 illustrates the medical thrombectomy device 100 in perspective view , showing the device 100 in a deployed operable condition . at the proximal end , ‘ proximal ’ being understood to signify the direction toward the handle and the device operator , a handle housing 120 is seen with the telescoping displaceable control housing 140 in a partially retracted position having the tines 185 partially exposed and radially expanded . the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 , which consist of both an infusion catheter 190 and an evacuation catheter 195 , are fixedly connected or attached to control housing 140 through which they pass . protruding longitudinally away from the handle housing 120 is a control housing 140 , a hollow semi - rigid displaceable cylindrical extension in which a plurality of catheter members are slideably contained . catheters 190 , 195 are fixedly connected to control housing 140 so as to move together as a unit upon longitudinal displacement 200 for the deployment , or un - deployment , of the functional distal end of the device 100 . the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 fixedly attached to control housing 140 , are slidingly received into a recess 122 formed in the handle housing 120 , the recess having a length substantially equal to distance 135 of catheter - 190 &# 39 ; s longitudinal excursion between operable and protected conditions . the plurality of coaxially positioned catheters comprises an evacuation catheter 195 coaxially positioned around an infusion catheter 190 , with each of the catheters secured to the control housing proximally . the catheters extend through the control housing 140 and terminate proximally with a catheter connector formed at a proximal opening of each catheter 190 ; 195 . as illustrated in fig7 , the proximal ends of the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 exit from the control housing and are connectable to any standard fluid conduit such as iv tubing , irrigation syringes and so on . the catheters have an opening , also referred to as a fenestration , formed in the outer surfaces of the catheters at a location in line with the through conduit 150 . these fenestrations are hermetically sealed with an elastomeric member having a self - sealing aperture centrally positioned : these are often referred to as diaphragms and they allow a guidewire 160 and a balloon catheter 170 to be passed through the self - sealing central opening in the diaphragm and be advanced into the catheter lumens while maintaining a fluid - tight seal . activation mechanism 125 is depicted mounted in handle housing 120 and allows an operator to start the thrombectomy device motor housed in the handle 120 , which in turn rotates tines 185 along with catheter 180 from which the tines 185 are formed . the motor is preferably powered by a battery housed within the handle housing 120 but power may alternatively be supplied by an external source including electrical , mechanical and pressurized fluid sources . further appreciated in fig1 is the arcuately elongate shaped displacing guard 126 which is pivotally displaceable from a closed position in which it blocks inadvertent activation of activation mechanism 125 , to a more distal forward open position allowing activating access to activation mechanism 125 . displacing guard 126 is thus pivotally displaceable forward and away from the blocking position to an unblocking position , as illustrated , that allows access to activation mechanism 125 . the displacing guard is constrained in its pivotal displacement from contacting or activating the activation mechanism 125 . importantly , the pivotal displacement of the guard 126 simultaneously controls the longitudinal displacement 200 of control housing 140 and catheters 190 , 195 attached thereto . the functional effect is that displacing guard 126 , which is connected to control housing 140 within housing 120 , longitudinally displaces the telescopically displaceable catheter assembly 140 , 190 , 195 from a operable condition to a protected condition and vice versa . the telescoping displacement of the catheters 190 , 195 — longitudinally 200 in a distal direction to form a sheath to cover tines 185 when in the protected condition , and in a proximal direction to an operable or retracted condition with tines 185 unsheathed — incorporates a locking mechanism . the preferred locking mechanism is illustrated as a detent locking mechanism 141 comprising a plurality of reversibly engaging detent locking members . other locking member embodiments include — but are not limited to — a sliding bolt action ; a latch mechanism ; and so on . such locking members as are functionally equivalent are within the contemplation and scope of the present subject invention . spring biased detent balls engage respective detent recesses formed in corresponding surfaces of handle housing 120 and control housing 140 respectively . while it is preferred that spring biased detent balls be formed in the handle housing 140 and the respective detent recesses 141 formed in the outer surface of control housing 120 , it is equivalent for the recesses to be formed in the handle housing 120 and the matching detent balls formed in the respective control housing 140 . the recesses are situated to reversibly secure the control housing in the handle housing both in the operable and in the protected conditions . the device reversibly locks the respective position of the control housing 140 and handle housing 120 , with both the protected condition and also the operable or retracted condition effected upon the pivotal displacement of a displacing guard 126 connected to control housing 140 . in the preferred embodiment it is the displacing guard which is used to cause the longitudinal displacement of control housing 140 with respect to handle housing 120 . the device 100 is in an operable condition when control housing 140 is longitudinally displaced proximally to a reversibly complementary juxtaposition with the handle housing 120 , which thereby uncovers tines 185 , allowing the tines 185 to expand radially . additionally , as seen illustrated in fig1 there is optionally provided a control wheel 118 that is steerably connected to the fusiform tip 182 of catheter 175 thereby providing controlled deflectability to the working end of the device 100 . coaxial and interior to the evacuation catheter 195 is an infusion catheter 190 ; coaxial and interior to both the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 is a tined catheter 180 . tined catheter 180 has formed at its distal aspect a plurality of resilient radially expandable finger - like tines 185 that are allowed to expand radially upon the proximal longitudinal displacement 200 of control handle 140 together with evacuation catheter 195 and infusion catheter 190 . tined catheter is not longitudinally displaceable with respect to the handle housing 120 and is secured in the longitudinal axis by its connection with the motor gearing ( or similar frictional engagement members ) and / or other anchoring means well known to those skilled in the art of medical devices . also illustrated in fig1 the balloon tip catheter 170 is positioned interior to and coaxial with the other catheters 180 , 190 , 195 , and is formed with a valved reversibly inflatable member at its distal end proximal to the radially expandable tines 185 , a fusiform member 182 of the balloon catheter 170 is formed . guidewire 160 is advanced along the through conduit 150 positioned longitudinally through the thrombolysis device 100 ; the guidewire 160 occupies a central , axial position relative to the nested coaxial catheters 170 , 180 , 190 , and 195 . the distance 135 , from the proximal end of the fusiform member 182 to the distal opening of evacuation catheter 195 is the telescoping distance , the maximal extent of longitudinal displacement for the control handle 140 having the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 attached . the displacement proximally along direction 200 which is to say the excursion of the fixed irrigation catheters 190 , 195 into handle recess 122 is substantially the same distance as the telescoping distance 135 . as seen in greater detail in fig2 and in subsequent fig3 - 5 , the plurality of nested telescoping coaxial catheters , seen here positioned within the lumen of a blood vessel 20 with guidewire 160 advanced to the level of a thrombus or clot 25 . in operation , guidewire 160 is first advanced percutaneously into the blood vessel with a clot ; the through conduit 150 of the medical device 100 provides a hollow channel into which to insert an end of guidewire 160 ; the medical device 100 is then passed over the guidewire 160 into position near the clot . in order to facilitate the atraumatic positioning of the nested coaxial catheters , tined catheter 180 is fitted at its distal end with a fusiform or cone - like member 182 that has a maximal outside diameter at its base substantially equal to the outside diameter of the juxtaposing catheter 195 . this smooth profile of the catheter when in the closed conformation serves to minimize the risk of traumatic abrasion or puncture or other damage to the blood vessel and / or surrounding tissues during placement . the device as seen in fig2 is in the undeployed condition . by this is meant the condition in which the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 are positioned as far distally as possible so that the distal tip of the evacuation catheter 195 is juxtaposed with the base of the cone - like member 182 forming thereby a relative smooth surface . the expandable tines 185 are reversibly deformed to a collapsed or contracted state , held in that position by the sheath formed by the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 . all of the catheters 180 , 190 , 195 and the guidewire 160 are optionally and preferably provided with a lubricious coating so as to facilitate the working of device 100 . the fusiform catheter tip 182 represents the distal terminal aspect of tined catheter 180 . a steering mechanism optionally attaches to the fusiform catheter tip 182 so as to provide controlled deflectability ; the mechanism may be any of the deflecting mechanisms well known to those practiced in the art of medical devices . for example , steering tendons in the form of wires may be used to cause the desired controlled deflection of the functioning end of device 100 . once the working end of the thrombolysis device 100 is positioned close to the blood clot 25 as seen in fig3 , the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 are longitudinally displaced in a proximal direction , thereby disinhibiting the compressed and / or folded expandable tines 185 and allowing them to radially expand . in addition , a balloon - tipped catheter 170 is advanced over the guidewire through the lumen of tined catheter 180 and advanced distally so that the reversibly expandable balloon member 175 comes to rest in a position proximal to the thrombus 25 . the expandable tines 185 displace radially as far as the internal dimensions of the blood vessel 20 permit . balloon catheter 170 is optionally provided with a second reversibly expandable balloon member located on the opposite side of the tines 185 , for further vascular containment of clot debris 29 . all reversibly expandable balloon members have valves formed proximally in line with the catheter lumens so as to permit controlled inflation and deflation with a fluid under pressure . in the preferred embodiment the preferred fluid is physiologic saline , a 0 . 9 normal aqueous solution of sodium chloride . other biocompatible crystalloids or colloid liquids are likewise preferred . not shown is the proximal connection of tined catheter 180 to the motor ; rotations of the motor are transferred to the tined catheter causing the tined catheter 180 and the tines 185 formed at its distal aspect to rotate upon activation of the motor by activation member 125 . the rotational connection is effected preferably by a set of gears or similar engaging members that frictionally transfer the motor &# 39 ; s rotations to the tined catheter 180 causing it to rotate . fig4 shows the next step in the thrombectomy method of the present invention , illustrating the delivery of a biocompatible fluid through infusion catheter 190 . further illustrated is the radially rotatory displacement of tines 185 in a preferred clockwise movement , allowing tines 185 to degrade the clot 25 by macerating , cutting , shearing and mechanical agitation and displacement . further seen in fig4 is balloon 175 in the inflated condition . the inflation of balloon 175 at a position proximal to the clot 25 is important for isolating and containing the clot debris 29 resulting from mechanical disruption , lysis and pharmacologic degradation of the clot 25 . the evacuation of the clot debris 29 and the fluid and blood in which it is carried is seen illustrated in fig5 as the debris 29 is suctioned into evacuation catheter 195 . fig5 further shows the thrombectomy device 100 having the balloon member 175 inflated with the tines 185 deployed and rotatingly displaced , also positioned with the inflated balloon tipped catheter 170 situated proximal to a clot 25 in a blood vessel 20 , illustrating the evacuation of debris 29 , the direction of rotation of the tines 185 , and the spread of some thrombus material 29 near the containment balloon 175 . fig5 illustrates how some debris 29 having migrated proximally , which is to say away from the inserted device 100 , may be contained by the inflated balloon 175 to thereby prevent such debris 29 from entering the general circulation with the associated risks of micro emboli and thrombus formations . the functional relationship of the plurality of nested catheters of the thrombectomy device 100 is illustrated in fig7 . fluid infusates , with or without pharmacologic agents such as enzymes and other degradative biochemical agents , are introduced through catheter 190 . catheter 190 has a rigid section 190 a fixedly attached to handle housing 120 and joining flexible sections of catheter 190 both proximally and distally . the connection between the flexible sections of 190 and the rigid section 190 a is accomplished by a hermetic locking mechanism , such as a luer lock or other similar mechanism . fluid entering the infusion catheter 190 is directed toward the working end of the device . the infusion catheter is seen to surround the tined catheter 180 which further surrounds balloon tip catheter 170 , still further having guidewire 160 centrally located ; the longitudinal sections of all of the catheters are coaxial as schematically illustrated in fig7 . fluid is evacuated through catheter 195 , the outermost catheter in the nested catheters of the device 100 , as a result of suction or some other differential pressure creating mechanism . the preferred direction of rotation 230 taken by the tined catheter 180 is indicated ; tined catheter 180 has connected at its distal end the plurality of radially expandable tines 185 formed therefrom . although this invention has been described in connection with specific forms and embodiments thereof , it should be appreciated that various modifications other than those discussed above may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . for example , equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically shown and described , certain features may be used independently of other features , and in certain cases , particular locations of elements may be reversed or interposed , all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .
a hand held motor powered device for percutaneous thrombolysis and evacuation of a clot from a clotted arterio - venous fistula is disclosed . the percutaneous thrombectomy device is provided with a plurality of nested coaxial lubricious catheters . the multi - functional thrombectomy device can simultaneously and sequentially degrade and evacuate a blood clot from a blood vessel by multiple modalities that combines to degrade the clot by mechanical agitation , fragmentation and disruption , by peri - thrombus delivery of enzymatic fluids , by irrigation with biocompatible fluids , and by balloon displacement . the thrombectomy device further provides for balloon containment and isolation of clot debris from the general circulation , thereby minimizing the risks to a patient of embolic sequelae . there is also provided an optional steering mechanism for controlled deflection of the working end of the device .