{
  "patent_number": "US 12733952",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "A Heart Plaque Removal Tool That Cuts Both Ways",
  "original_title": "Atherectomy system adapted to enable retrograde ablation",
  "summary": "This patent describes a medical device for clearing blocked arteries that can cut away plaque both forwards and backwards using a single tool, while giving the doctor consistent feedback.",
  "what_it_does": "This atherectomy system is designed to remove plaque from inside blood vessels. It uses a single atherectomy tool that has a cutting part at its tip (distal region) for forward-moving ablation (anterograde) and another cutting part further back (proximal region) for backward-moving ablation (retrograde). A handle lets the doctor move an actuation member in one direction to cut forward and in a second direction to cut backward. The clever part is that the system is built to give the doctor the same feeling or feedback, no matter which direction the tool is cutting, as stated in the abstract.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover atherectomy systems that require two separate tools for anterograde and retrograde plaque removal.",
    "Does not cover systems where the doctor receives different tactile feedback when the tool is cutting in different directions.",
    "Does not cover atherectomy tools that can only remove plaque in one direction, either forward or backward.",
    "Does not cover systems that lack a drive coil or a proximal handle with an actuation member for controlling the tool."
  ],
  "filed": "2022-08-23",
  "granted": "2026-09-15",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": null,
  "holder_url": null,
  "inventors": [],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "medical_devices",
    "cardiovascular",
    "surgical_tools"
  ],
  "abstract": "An atherectomy system is adapted for both anterograde ablation and retrograde ablation, and includes a drive coil and an atherectomy tool coupled to the drive coil, the atherectomy tool including a distal region adapted for anterograde ablation and a proximal region adapted for retrograde ablation. A proximal handle includes an actuation member adapted to be movable in a first direction to urge the atherectomy tool in an anterograde ablation direction and to be movable in a second direction to urge the atherectomy tool in a retrograde ablation direction. The atherectomy system is adapted such that the actuation member provides a similar feedback to a user regardless of whether the atherectomy tool is ablating in the anterograde ablation direction or in the retrograde ablation direction.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12733952/atherectomy-system-adapted-to-enable-retrograde-ablation",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12733952/atherectomy-system-adapted-to-enable-retrograde-ablation/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12733952",
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}