| CPC A61B 17/320725 (2013.01) [A61B 17/3209 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00986 (2013.01); A61B 17/32075 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |

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1. An intravascular catheter device for incising tissue located within a blood vessel, said intravascular catheter device comprising:
a flexible catheter tube;
a sheath;
an expandable portion secured to the flexible catheter tube and comprising a plurality of struts, each comprising a flattened surface, a first common end portion and a second common end portion, wherein each of said plurality of struts extend and span a distance between said first common end portion and said second common end portion, where said first and second common end portions interconnect said plurality of struts, wherein said expandable portion is moveable relative to said sheath so as to selectively expose said expandable portion for movement into a first position where at least a mid-portion of each of said plurality of struts is moved outward so as to extend beyond an outer surface of said sheath and selectively cover each of said plurality of struts when said plurality of struts are in a second position where said plurality of struts are moved inward; and
one or more incising elements, each respective one of said one or more incising elements located at a respective one of the plurality of struts and extending outward from an outer surface thereof when the expandable portion is in the first position and the second position such that said flattened surface of the respective one of the plurality of struts extends laterally on both sides of said respective one of the one or more incising elements, where each of said one or more incising elements is oriented to extend longitudinally in a non-curved fashion along a longitudinal axis of the respective one of the plurality of struts so as to incise said tissue when said intravascular catheter device is placed within said blood vessel, said expandable portion is placed in said first position, and said expandable portion is retracted along the blood vessel;
wherein at least said first common end portion, said second common end portion, and each of said plurality of struts are integrally formed;
wherein said flattened surfaces of said plurality of struts collectively form a longitudinally extending slot between each of said plurality of said struts when said expandable portion is placed in the second position.
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