Steerable rail delivery system

A method for delivering an expandable implant to a body location, the method comprising:

• delivering the expandable implant within an outer sheath assembly of a delivery system toward the body location, the expandable implant having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the expandable implant is in a compressed configuration within the outer sheath assembly and is releasably retained by an inner retention member positioned at a distal end of an inner shaft assembly;
• activating a pull wire attached to a steerable rail shaft of a rail assembly of the delivery system to steer the delivery system, the rail assembly being located within an outer lumen of the outer sheath assembly, wherein activating the pull wire provides at least one bend to the steerable rail shaft to steer the delivery system toward the body location,
• wherein the inner shaft assembly is positioned within a lumen of the rail assembly;
• moving the outer sheath assembly and the inner retention member distally together relative to the rail assembly to position the expandable implant at the body location while the expandable implant remains in a radially compressed configuration within the outer sheath assembly;
• and
• proximally retracting the outer sheath assembly relative to the inner retention member in order to at least partially expand the expandable implant from the radially compressed configuration.

A method for delivering an expandable implant to a body location, the method comprising:

• delivering the expandable implant within an outer sheath assembly of a delivery system toward the body location, the expandable implant having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the expandable implant is in a compressed configuration within the outer assembly and is releasably retained in the outer sheath assembly by an inner retention member of an inner shaft assembly of the delivery system;
• actuating a steerable rail shaft of a rail assembly of the delivery system positioned within the outer sheath assembly to steer the delivery system, the steerable rail shaft having a rail lumen and a proximal end and a distal end, wherein actuating the steerable rail shaft provides at least one bend to the steerable rail shaft to steer the delivery system toward the body location;
• moving the outer sheath assembly and the inner retention member distally together relative to the rail assembly to position the expandable implant at the body location while the expandable implant remains in the compressed configuration;
• and
• proximally retracting the outer sheath assembly relative to the inner retention member in order to at least partially expand the expandable implant from the compressed configuration at the body location.