Apparatus and methods for deployment release of intraluminal prostheses

A delivery catheter for placement of a radially compressible prosthesis, the catheter comprising:

• an elongate flexible shaft structure having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a plurality of runners affixed to the shaft structure and disposed over a prosthesis receptacle, the prosthesis receptacle defined by inner surfaces of the runners;
• and
• a tubular cover slidably disposed over at least the prosthesis receptacle;
• wherein the cover is capable of restraining the prosthesis against the runners;
• wherein the proximal ends of the runners are proximal of the prosthesis receptacle, and the runners adapted to extend distally of the constrained prosthesis;
• wherein the runners are flexible so that the runners remain over the prosthesis receptacle as the cover is axially translated over the shaft structure;
• and
• wherein the shaft structure includes a core shaft which is axially slidable relative to the runners, the core shaft having a distal force imparting structure which axially restrains the prosthesis as the cover and the runners are axially translated from the prosthesis receptacle.

A delivery catheter for placement of a radially compressible prosthesis, the catheter comprising:

• an elongate flexible shaft structure having a proximal end, a distal end, and a prosthesis receptacle near the distal end, the prosthesis receptacle defined by a distal force imparting surface;
• a plurality of axially disposed elongate runners disposed over the prosthesis receptacle;
• and
• a tubular cover slidably disposed over at least the prosthesis receptacle;
• wherein the cover is capable of restraining the prosthesis against the at least one runner;
• wherein the proximal ends of the runners are proximal of the prosthesis receptacle, and the runners adapted to extend distally of the restrained prosthesis;
• and
• wherein the runners are affixed to the cover, and the shaft structure axially restrains the prosthesis as the runners and the cover are proximally translated from the prosthesis receptacle.

A delivery catheter for placement of a resiliently compressible prosthesis, the catheter comprising:

• an elongate flexible shaft structure having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a plurality of elongate flexible runners extending distally from the distal end of the shaft structure;
• a prosthesis receptacle disposed within the runners;
• and
• a tubular cover slidably disposed over the prosthesis receptacle;
• wherein the runners have a hardness greater than that of the cover and a length greater than that of the prosthesis and are radially constrained toward the prosthesis receptacle when the cover is distally extended over the prosthesis receptacle and are radially released when the cover is proximally retracted.

A delivery catheter for placement of a compressible prosthesis, the catheter comprising:

• an elongate flexible shaft structure having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a tubular cover slidably disposed over the shaft structure;
• a plurality of elongate runners extending distally from the distal end of the shaft structure, the runners having a hardness greater than that of the cover;
• and
• a prosthesis receptacle disposed within the runners;
• wherein the runners are radially constrained toward the prosthesis receptacle when the cover is distally extended over the prosthesis receptacle and are radially released when the cover is proximally retracted;
• wherein the shaft structure comprises a core shaft slidably disposed within the runners, the core shaft having a guidewire lumen and means for releasably attaching the core shaft to the runners at the proximal end of the shaft structure, wherein the core shaft and distal end of the cover are capable of presenting an atraumatic distal catheter end.

A delivery catheter for placement of compressible prosthesis, the catheter comprising:

• an elongate flexible shaft structure having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a tubular cover slidably disposed over the shaft structure;
• a plurality of elongate runners extending distally from the distal end of the shaft structure, the runners having a hardness greater than that of the cover, the runners comprising strips of material selected from the group consisting of shade memory alloy, stainless steel, stainless alloy, titanium, and titanium alloy;
• and
• a prosthesis receptacle disposed within the runners;
• wherein the runners are radially constrained toward the prosthesis receptacle when the cover is distally extended over the prosthesis receptacle and are radially released when the cover is proximally retracted;
• and
• wherein the runners are affixed to the shaft between inner and outer layers of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer, Nylon, and stainless steel.

A delivery catheter for placement of a compressible prosthesis, the catheter comprising:

• an elongate flexible shaft structure having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a tubular cover slidably disposed over the shaft structure;
• a plurality of elongate runners extending distally from the distal end of the shaft structure, the runners having a hardness greater than that of the cover;
• and
• a prosthesis receptacle disposed within the runners;
• and
• a friction reducer tube slidably disposed about the cover and insertable within a valve seal of an introduction sheath, the friction reducer tube including means for sealing against the cover;
• wherein the runners are radially constrained toward the prosthesis receptacle when the cover is distally extended over the prosthesis receptacle and are radially released when the cover is proximally retracted.

A delivery catheter for placement of a resilient, radially compressible prosthesis within a patient body, the catheter passing through an introduction sheath having a valve seal, the catheter comprising:

• an elongate flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen therebetween;
• a plurality of runners affixed to the shaft at their proximal ends and oriented distally, the runners comprising a high strength metal, the runners being longer than the length of the prosthesis;
• a tubular cover slidably disposed over the shaft and runners;
• a friction reducer tube slidably disposed over the cover and insertable within the valve seal of the introduction sheath, the friction reducer tube including a body for sealing against the cover;
• and
• a core shaft slidably disposed within the lumen of the shaft and having means for releasably attaching to the shaft at the proximal end, the core shaft having a guidewire lumen and a nosecone.

A method for placing a resilient, radially compressible prosthesis within a body lumen, the method comprising:

• loading the prosthesis into a tubular cover by compressing the prosthesis and sliding the prosthesis into the cover, wherein at least one runner is disposed between the prosthesis and cover from a proximal end of the prosthesis to a distal end of the prosthesis, the runner being harder than the tubular cover so as to provide a sliding interface and avoid invagination of the prosthesis into the cover;
• positioning the cover within the body lumen so the prosthesis is at a target location;
• and
• withdrawing the cover relative to the prosthesis so that the prosthesis expands within the body lumen at the target location, wherein the runner provides a sliding interface between the cover and the prosthesis.

An endoluminal prosthesis delivery system comprising:

• a resilient radially expandable tubular prosthesis having a proximal end, a distal end, an axial prosthesis length therebetween, and an outer surface;
• a flexible tubular cover disposed over the prosthesis to radially restrain the prosthesis, the cover comprising a cover material having a cover hardness;
• an elongate flexible shaft extending proximally of the prosthesis;
• and
• a plurality of elongate runners extending distally from the shaft between the prosthesis and the cover, the runners having a hardness greater than the cover hardness and arranged so as prevent invagination of the prosthesis along the entire length of the prosthesis, the runners being axially flexible along the outer surface of the prosthesis when the prosthesis expands resiliently in a body lumen.