Stent delivery system and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a stent delivery system comprising:

• positioning a stent to axially overlap with and cover an outer surface of a balloon, the stent comprising wires that are spaced apart from one another to define at least one gap between the wires, the balloon being connected to an elongated shaft;
• mounting the stent on the outer surface of the balloon while the outer surface of the balloon is covered with the stent by decreasing the inner diameter of the stent;
• protruding a portion of the balloon radially outward through the at least one gap of the stent;
• and
• applying a lubricant on the outer surface of the protruding portion of the balloon that protrudes through the at least one gap of the stent.

A method of deploying a stent at a target site within a living body comprising:

• inserting a distal end of an elongated shaft into a lumen in the living body, the elongated shaft extending in an axial direction, the distal end of the elongated shaft comprising a balloon which possesses an outer surface, the stent being mounted on the outer surface of the balloon so that the stent surrounds an axial portion of the balloon, the outer surface of the balloon comprising coated portions possessing a lubricant and non-coated portions not possessing the lubricant, the coated portions of the balloon and the non-coated portions of the balloon overlapping one another in the axial direction;
• moving the distal end of the elongated shaft within the lumen in the living body, the lumen possessing an inner surface, the coated portions of the balloon contacting the inner surface of the lumen in the living body as the distal end of the elongated shaft is moved within the lumen in the living body while at the same time the non-coated portions do not contact the inner surface of the lumen;
• the moving of the distal end of the elongated shaft within the lumen in the living body comprising moving the distal end of the elongated shaft to position the stent at the target site in the living body;
• and
• inflating the balloon to expand the stent radially outward to deploy the stent at the target site within the living body.