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AssigneeLinvatec Biomaterials Oy
InventorsKari Aarne Juhani Laakso, Juha-Pekka Nuutinen, Claude O. Clerc
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The invention is a method and apparatus for inserting a self expanding stent into a delivery device and subsequently delivering the stent into a body lumen. The apparatus comprises an outer tube; an inner tube within the outer tube; a capturing element slidably mounted on the inner tube and including a foldable sleeve with a proximal end smaller than the outer tube and a distal end larger than the outer tube, a blocking element fixed to the inner tube adapted to block a stent from being inserted into the sleeve proximally of the blocking element and to block the capturing element from becoming situated distally of a predetermined point relative to said inner tube, the capturing element carried on the inner tube so that the distal end of the sleeve can extend beyond the distal end of the outer tube in an unfolded condition and so that the sleeve can be drawn into the outer tube by the blocking element and become folded within the outer tube when the inner tube is drawn proximally relative to the outer tube, whereby a stent having an end inserted into the sleeve is drawn into the outer tube, thereby becoming captured in a radially constricted condition within the outer tube. The stent is deployed by inserting the delivery apparatus into a body lumen to position the distal end of the tube adjacent the stent deployment site and drawing the outer tube proximally relative to the stent, which is blocked from being drawn along with the outer tube by the blocking element on the inner tube so as to release the stent from its radially constricted condition.
An apparatus for delivering a self expanding stent into a body lumen comprising:
A method of loading a stent into a stent delivery apparatus, said apparatus comprising an outer tube sized to hold a self-expanding stent therein in a radially constricted condition, said outer tube having a proximal end and a distal end, an inner tube within said outer tube, said inner tube having a proximal end and a distal end, a capturing element slidably mounted on said inner tube and comprising a foldable sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being smaller than said outer tube and said distal end being larger than said outer tube, said capturing element carried on said inner tube such that said distal end of said sleeve can extend beyond said distal end of said outer tube in an unfolded condition and said sleeve can be drawn into and become folded within said outer tube when said inner tube is drawn proximally relative to said outer tube and a blocking element fixed to said inner tube near said distal end of said inner tube and adapted to block a stent inserted into said sleeve from becoming situated proximally of said blocking element and to block said capturing element from becoming situated distally of a predetermined point relative to said inner tube, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.