Vaso-occlusion apparatus having a mechanically expandable detachment joint and a method for using the apparatus

A coil-delivery device for delivery to a vascular target site via an inner-lumen catheter, an elongate, flexible vaso-occlusion coil having an end-region inner lumen, said device comprising:

• an elongate sleeve having proximal and distal ends and an inner lumen extending therebetween,
• a wire slidably movable within said sleeve, said wire having a distal end region extending beyond the distal end of the sleeve, and a proximal end region that can be manipulated to move the wire between extended and retracted positions with respect to the sleeve's distal end, and
• a flexible engaging structure having a proximal end attached to the sleeve's distal end and a distal end attached to the wire distal to the sleeve's distal end, such that movement of the wire between its extended and retracted positions is effective to move the flexible engaging structure between extended and radially expanded conditions, respectively, in which the engaging structure is adapted to be received within and compressionally engage the lumen end region of the coil, respectively,
• wherein said engaging structure, with such in its extended condition, is adapted to be received in the inner lumen of a coil having an outer diameter as small as 15 mils, and with such in its expanded condition, to compressionally engage the lumen end region of a coil having an outer diameter as great as 35 mils.

A coil-delivery assembly for delivery of a plurality of vaso-occlusion coils to a vascular target site, comprising:

• (a) a catheter having proximal and distal ends, and an inner lumen extending therebetween,
• (b) an introduccer for holding a vaso- occlusion coil in a substantially linear condition, said introducer having an end region adapted to be mated with the proximal end of said catheter, for transferring a coil from the introducer into the catheter, said coils each having an end-region inner lumen, and
• (c) a coil-delivery device for delivery of such a coil to a target site via the catheter, said device having (i) an elongate sleeve having proximal and distal ends and an inner lumen extending therebetween, (ii) a wire slidably movable within said sleeve, said wire having a distal end region extending beyond the distal end of the sleeve, and a proximal end region that can be manipulated to move the wire between extended and retracted positions with respect to the sleeve's distal end, and (iii) a flexible engaging structure having a proximal end attached to the sleeve's distal end and a distal end attached to the wire distal to the sleeve's distal end, such that movement of the wire between its extended and retracted positions is effective to move the flexible engaging structure between extended and radially expanded conditions, respectively, in which the engaging structure is adapted to be received within and compressionally engage the lumen end region of the coil, respectively.
• whereby the coil may be frictionally and releasably engaged by the flexible engaging structure, with the coil held in the introducer, transferred from the introducer into and through the catheter, and released from the flexible engaging structure after being advanced across the catheter's distal end.