PLEATED DEPLOYMENT SHEATH
First Claim
1. A medical device delivery system comprisinga tubular sheath, having a length, mounted about and containing a medical device;
- wherein said tubular sheath includes at least one pleat oriented along at least a portion of the length.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A deployment sheath for medical devices is provided that includes one or more pleats in its pre-deployment state that are allowed to open during deployment so as to facilitate easier device deployment and sheath removal. Preferably, the sheath is removed by everting it over itself during the delivery process. By orienting the pleats along the length of the sheath, preferably helically around the sheath, the sheath undergoes a predictable enlargement during deployment so as to relieve friction of the everted sheath sliding along itself during deployment. This allows the sheath to be removed with less tension than previous everting sheath constructions and assures more accurate device placement in a patient.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A medical device delivery system comprising
a tubular sheath, having a length, mounted about and containing a medical device; wherein said tubular sheath includes at least one pleat oriented along at least a portion of the length. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A medical device deployment system comprising
a medical device having a length; -
a sheath mounted around the medical device along at least a portion of its length, wherein prior to deployment the sheath is at least partially everted over itself to form an interior segment and an exterior segment; wherein at least a portion of the interior segment of the sheath includes a helically oriented pleat. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A delivery and deployment system for an endoprosthesis, comprising:
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an endoprosthesis having a distal end, a proximal end, a first, smaller compacted diameter for insertion into a body conduit and a second, larger deployed diameter, said endoprosthesis provided at the first, smaller compacted diameter; and a constraining sheath wherein a first length portion of said sheath is fitted around the compacted endoprosthesis and extends along a length of the endoprosthesis and a second length portion that is everted back over the first length portion, wherein at least the first length portion of the constraining sheath includes a helically oriented fold.
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Specification