Prosthesis seals and methods for sealing an expandable prosthesis

An apparatus configured for delivery from a delivery catheter, comprising:

• a stent-valve disposable, in a compressed configuration, within the delivery catheter, the stent-valve comprising an accommodation region for accommodating a seal component to form a seal around the exterior of the stent-valve, and the stent-valve being expandable from the compressed configuration to an operative configuration after delivery from the delivery catheter;
• the seal component comprising swellable material that swells in response to contact with blood or a blood component, the seal component being mountable and/or introducible to the accommodation region to form a combined assembly with the stent-valve, in the compressed configuration, prior to delivery of the stent-valve from the delivery catheter;
• wherein the accommodation region comprises an accommodation channel configured to receive the seal component therein, the accommodation channel being attached to the exterior of the stent-valve;
• and
• a loading filament slidably disposed within the accommodation channel along a predefined path extending circumferentially around the stent-valve, the loading filament being configured to circumferentially pull the seal component into the accommodation channel along the predefined path thereby forming the combined assembly;
• wherein the combined assembly is disposed within the delivery catheter prior to delivery.