Ballon catheter for stent implantation

A catheter system comprising:

• a first catheter including a first tubular shaft having a proximal region, a distal region, and an inflation lumen with a proximal entry disposed in the proximal region;
• an inflatable balloon having an interior and being disposed at the first tubular shaft distal region, the inflation lumen extending through the first tubular shaft between the proximal entry and the balloon interior and being in fluid communication with the proximal entry and the balloon interior;
• a proximal entry seal for sealing the proximal entry;
• and
• a second catheter including a second tubular shaft having a proximal region, a distal region, and a lumen extending within the second tubular shaft between the proximal and distal regions, wherein the second tubular shaft lumen is sized to receive the first tubular shaft proximal region therein and the first tubular shaft proximal entry seal is sized to be slideably received within the second tubular shaft lumen.

A catheter system comprising:

• a first balloon catheter including a first tubular shaft, a proximal region, a distal region, a distal inflatable balloon having an interior, an inflation lumen extending through the first tubular shaft between a proximal entry in the proximal region and the distal region and being in fluid communication with the balloon interior;
• a second catheter having a second tubular shaft, a proximal region, a distal region, a lumen therethrough, the lumen sized to receive the first tubular shaft proximal region therein;
• means for sealing the first catheter proximal entry;
• and
• means for proximally removing the second catheter over the first catheter while the first catheter is sealed.