Debulking Catheters And Methods
A debulking catheter comprising a tissue debulking assembly for removing a continuous strand of material from a body lumen. Catheters of the present invention generally include a catheter body having proximal and distal portions and a tissue debulking assembly disposed at least partially within the distal portion. The tissue debulking assembly is radially movable to expose at least a portion of the assembly through a window on the catheter body. The catheter is advanced transluminally through the body lumen to contact material in the body lumen and remove a plane of continuous material that has a length that is typically longer than a length of the window on the catheter. The continuous material may be directed into a collection chamber. Thereafter, the material may be removed from the collection chamber and preserved or tested.
1 - 45 . (canceled)
46 . A library comprising a plurality of samples derived from excised vascular tissue, wherein each sample of excised vascular tissue comprises at least one continuous strand of tissue that is removed from a vascular lumen in a human body, wherein the continuous strand is at least 2 cm in length (along the axis of the vascular lumen), wherein the plurality of samples are selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, cDNA, and protein.
47 . The library of claim 46 wherein clinical information regarding patients from whom the samples were excised is maintained with the library.
48 . The library of claim 46 wherein the samples are DNA.
49 . The library of claim 46 wherein the samples are cDNA.
50 . The library of claim 46 wherein the samples are RNA.
51 . The library of claim 46 wherein the samples are protein.