Inventors:
David Tak Wai Chiu - Bronxville NY
Heinz Rosskothen - Tea Neck NJ
Assignee:
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York - New York NY
International Classification:
A61B 1732
Abstract:
An apparatus for creating a substantially circular hole in a wall of a vessel of a patient is provided, comprising an elongated circular knife with a proximal end, a distal end with a circular knife edge, and an inner channel, an elongated probe with a proximal end and a distal end, the elongated probe being disposed within the inner channel of the elongated circular knife and being adapted to be moveable axially and rotatably with respect to the elongated circular knife, and a bar formed on the distal end of the elongated probe, the bar being substantially perpendicular to the elongated probe, whereby when the bar is inserted in the vessel through a slit in the wall of the vessel, the elongated probe and the bar may be rotated with respect to the circular knife edge of the elongated cylindrical knife to form a substantially circular hole in the wall of the vessel. A method for creating a substantially circular hole in a wall of a vessel of a patient is also provided.