Method and system for stent delivery
First Claim
1. A stent delivery system, comprising:
- a) an elongated catheter body having an expandable member on the distal end thereof and at least one inner lumen extending therein;
b) an expandable stent which is disposed about the expandable member in a contracted condition;
c) a guidewire which is disposed within the inner lumen of the catheter body and which has a distal portion extending out the distal end of the catheter body;
d) a protective tubular sheath which is secured by its distal end to the distal portion of the guidewire extending out of the distal end of the catheter body and which fits over the stent disposed about the expandable member;
e) means to move the guidewire distally through the inner lumen to remove the sheath from the stent;
f) means to expand the expandable member to thereby expand the stent surrounding the expandable member;
g) means to hold the stent in an expanded condition; and
h) means to contract the expanded member so that it can be removed from the stent in the expanded condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stent delivery system having an expandable stent in a contracted condition positioned on an expandable member, such as an inflatable balloon, disposed on the distal portion of an elongated catheter body. A guidewire extends through an inner lumen within the elongated catheter body and out its distal end. A tubular protective sheath is secured by its distal end to the portion of the guidewire which extends out of the distal end of the catheter body and fits over the rolled up stent mounted on the expandable member on the distal end of the catheter body. The catheter assembly is advanced to a desired location within a patient'"'"'s body lumen, such as the patient'"'"'s arterial system, with the sheath in place over the stent. Once in proper position, the guidewire is advanced distally in order to remove the attached sheath and completely expose the stent. The expandable member on the catheter is expanded to expand the stent. The stent is preferably self-locking in the expanded condition so that the expanded expandable member can be contracted and the catheter can be removed therefrom.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A stent delivery system, comprising:
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a) an elongated catheter body having an expandable member on the distal end thereof and at least one inner lumen extending therein; b) an expandable stent which is disposed about the expandable member in a contracted condition; c) a guidewire which is disposed within the inner lumen of the catheter body and which has a distal portion extending out the distal end of the catheter body; d) a protective tubular sheath which is secured by its distal end to the distal portion of the guidewire extending out of the distal end of the catheter body and which fits over the stent disposed about the expandable member; e) means to move the guidewire distally through the inner lumen to remove the sheath from the stent; f) means to expand the expandable member to thereby expand the stent surrounding the expandable member; g) means to hold the stent in an expanded condition; and h) means to contract the expanded member so that it can be removed from the stent in the expanded condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of delivering an expandable stent to a region within a patient'"'"'s bodily lumen, comprising:
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a) providing a stent delivery system which includes an elongate catheter body with an expandable member on the distal end thereof and a guidewire disposed within an inner lumen in the catheter body with a distal portion of the guidewire extending out of the distal end of the catheter body with a tubular protective sheath secured by the distal end thereof to the distal portion of the guidewire; b) mounting an expandable stent in a contracted condition onto the expanded member c) disposing the protective tubular sheath over the expandable stent mounted on the expandable member d) advancing the stent delivery system through a patient'"'"'s bodily lumen until the stent is disposed within a desired region therein; e) advancing the guidewire distally within the lumen to remove the protective sheath from over the mounted stent; f) expanding the expandable member to expand the stent thereon; g) locking the stent in an expanded condition; and h) contracting the expandable member sufficiently to facilitate removing the expandable member from within the expanded stent. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification