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Variable speed stent delivery system

  • US 7,935,141 B2
  • Filed: 08/16/2006
  • Issued: 05/03/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A delivery system for deploying a medical device at variable speeds, comprising:

  • a catheter assembly comprising an elongate shaft and an elongate sheath including a lumen in which the shaft is positioned, wherein the sheath is movable relative to the shaft from an initial position in which the medical device is sandwiched between the sheath and the shaft to a final position in which the medical device is exposed; and

    a control handle comprising a connector element attaching an end of the sheath to the control handle and a variable speed mechanism attached to the connector element, wherein the variable speed mechanism includes;

    a rotary knob that is operable at a relatively constant input rotation speed to move the connector element from a first position to a second position at a retraction speed that varies from an initial speed to a final speed that is higher than the initial speed, whereby the attached sheath is moved from the initial position to the final position;

    a slide rod mating with a passageway in the connector element, whereby the connector element is able to slide along the length of the slide rod;

    a take up pulley;

    a drive belt attached at a first end to the connector element and at a second end to the take up pulley, wherein the drive belt is wrapped onto a contact surface of the take up pulley when the take up pulley is rotated and moves the attached connector element at the varying retraction speed; and

    a translation member rigidly attached to a user input element to rotate with the user input element, wherein the translation member is linked to the take up pulley to rotate at an angular velocity based on the input force, and wherein an overall outer diameter of the take up pulley, comprising an outer diameter of the take up pulley and wrapped portions of the drive belt, increases with rotation of the take up pulley, whereby the angular velocity increases based on the input force with a resultant increase in the retraction speed.

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