Thoracic introducer

A stent graft delivery system for a thoracic aorta stent graft comprising:

• a tubular central carrier having a distal end and a proximal end;
• a nose cone dilator at the proximal end of the tubular carrier;
• a first retention arrangement on the tubular carrier for the distal end of a stent graft;
• and
• the tubular carrier and the nose cone dilator having a curved proximal end.

A stent graft delivery system for a thoracic aorta stent graft comprising:

• a tubular central carrier having a distal end and a proximal end;
• a nose cone dilator positioned at the proximal end of the tubular carrier;
• a capsule having a passageway extending therein with the distal closed end attached to the tubular carrier and an open proximal end facing the nose cone dilator;
• the capsule being axially moveable along the tubular carrier with respect to the nose cone dilator;
• a longitudinal lumen through the tubular central carrier;
• a guide wire catheter extending through the longitudinal lumen, the nose cone dilator being attached to the guide wire catheter;
• and
• the tubular carrier and the nose cone dilator having a curved proximal end.

A stent graft delivery system for a thoracic aorta stent graft comprising:

• a tubular central carrier having a distal end and a proximal end;
• a longitudinal lumen through the tubular central carrier;
• a guide wire catheter extending through the longitudinal lumen and extending proximally of the tubular central carrier the guide wire catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;
• the guide wire catheter being movable longitudinally and rotationally with respect to the tubular central carrier;
• a nose cone dilator being attached to proximal end of the guide wire catheter and extending proximally thereof;
• a capsule having a passageway extending therein with the distal closed end attached to the proximal end of the tubular carrier and an open proximal end facing the nose cone dilator, the capsule providing a distal retention arrangement for the stent graft;
• and
• the nose cone dilator having a curved proximal end.

A stent graft deployment apparatus comprising:

• a deployment catheter having a proximal end adapted to be introduced into a patient and a distal end adapted to remain outside a patient, the catheter having at a proximal end thereof a region adapted in use to contain a stent graft;
• a sheath arrangement adapted in use to extend over and cover the region adapted to be moved with respect to the catheter to expose the region to thereby enable deployment of the stent graft;
• a nose cone dilator positioned at the proximal end of the deployment catheter;
• a distal retention arrangement for the stent graft at a distal end of the region and comprising a capsule having a passageway extending therein with a distal closed end and an open proximal end facing the nose cone dilator.