Stent crimping tool and method of use

A tool for crimping a stent in combination with a stent, the combination comprising;

• a rigid chassis having an interior of a length closed at an end and open at the opposite end;
• an end cap covering the open end, the end cap having a central opening;
• a pliant tube disposed within the rigid chassis adjacent to the end cap having an axial space in communication with the central opening of the end cap, wherein the tube has an axial length that is less than the length of the interior of the chassis forming a chamber adjacent the closed end;
• a piston slidably disposed within the chamber of the rigid chassis;
• and
• a drive source engaging the rigid chassis at the closed end and the piston and disposed within the chamber, wherein the stent is mounted on a catheter and positioned through the central opening within the axial space, and the drive source displaces the piston to compress the pliant tube and the compressed pliant tube squeezes the stent radially onto the catheter.

A method for crimping a stent onto a balloon catheter comprising the steps of:

• providing a chassis having an interior enclosed at an end and open at an opposite end;
• enclosing the open end with an end cap having a central opening;
• providing a resilient tube inside the interior having a length shorter than a length of the interior thereby forming a chamber adjacent the enclosed end of the housing, wherein the resilient tube includes an axial space in communication with the central opening;
• providing a piston within the cylinder;
• loading the stent onto the balloon catheter;
• inserting the stent and catheter into the axial space;
• and
• displacing the piston against the resilient tube to compress the tube;
• wherein the compressed resilient tube compresses the stent radially onto the catheter.