Stent holding member and stent feeding system

A stent holding member used in a stent delivery system adapted to introduce a stent of a cylindrical configuration, designed to be implanted in a living body, to a desired site of implantation in a vessel thereof, the stent holding member comprising:

• a tubular holder formed of a unitary elastic material, the tubular holder being mounted to the outer peripheral surface of a balloon of said stent delivery system prior to said stent being mounted to said tubular holder;
• said tubular holder having a groove in its outer peripheral portion for holding one or more supporting struts making up said stent, the groove being arranged for embedding each of said struts at least partially in said groove to hold the stent, said groove being formed to a width narrower than the outer diameter of said struts when the tubular holder is in a contracted state;
• and
• wherein said groove is arranged to have its opening end side expanded by expansion of said tubular holder along the radial direction to release the holding of the stent in the groove to enable the stent to be released from the tubular holder.