# US 9,867,729 B2 · Endograft introducer and a capsule assembly for an endograft introducer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,867,729 B2 - Document ID: US9867729B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/612,682 - Filed: 2015-02-03 - Published: 2015-08-06 - Granted: 2018-01-16 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-05 - Assignees: Cook Medical Technologies LLC - Applicants: Cook Medical Technologies LLC - Inventors: Werner D. Ducke; David Ernest Hartley; David Sean O'Brien; Blayne A. Roeder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9867729B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/966: with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod - A61F 2/95: Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts - A61F 2/07: Stent-grafts - A61F 2002/9665: {with additional retaining means} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A capsule assembly for an endograft introducer is disclosed. The assembly comprises: a capsule retriever having a plug portion and a tail portion, the plug portion having a lead-in surface, the tail portion having an elongate body extending proximally from the plug portion to an end stop feature receiver; a capsule tube having an end stop feature at a proximal end thereof and terminating in a distal end, the end stop feature and the end stop receiver arranged such that proximal movement of the capsule tube relative to the plug portion is limited; and a capsule cavity inside the capsule tube, a proximal end of a prosthesis being receivable in the cavity. The capsule tube is slidably movable with respect to the capsule retriever to a position in which the distal end of the capsule tube is adjacent to the lead-in surface of the plug portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for delivering and deploying an expandable prosthesis, the system comprising: a prosthesis having proximal and distal ends; a nose cone dilator having proximal and distal ends; and a capsule assembly coupled to the nose cone dilator, the capsule assembly comprising: a capsule retriever having a plug portion and a tail portion, the plug portion having a lead-in surface, the tail portion having an elongate body extending proximally from the plug portion to an end stop feature receiver, wherein the tail portion is closer to the proximal end of the nose cone dilator than the plug portion is to the proximal end of the nose cone dilator; a capsule tube having an end stop feature at a proximal end thereof and terminating in a distal end; and a capsule cavity inside the capsule tube, the proximal end of the prosthesis being receivable in the cavity, wherein the capsule tube is slidably movable with respect to the capsule retriever from a first position in which the distal end of the capsule tube surrounds an opening into the capsule cavity to a second position in which the distal end of the capsule tube is adjacent to the lead-in surface of the plug portion and the end stop feature and end stop feature receiver are engaged. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end stop feature comprises a capsule wall, the capsule wall defining a wall aperture. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lead-in surface includes a frusto-conical portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug portion comprises a landing surface proximally adjacent to the lead-in surface, the landing surface slidably engaging the capsule tube. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tail portion comprises a tail lock, the tail lock arranged to prevent the lead-in surface of the capsule plug portion re-entering the capsule tube from the second position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tail lock comprises a barb, the barb extending proximally from the elongate body and terminating with a barb abutment surface, the barb abutment surface resiliently moveable from a relaxed position to a deflected position, the deflected position enabling the abutment surface to pass through the wall aperture. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein, when the capsule tube is in the second position, the abutment surface is prevented from re-entering the wall aperture by abutment of the abutment surface against the end wall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tail portion comprises a tail tube, the tail tube defining a tail lumen. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tail tube comprises a pair of opposed resiliently flexible tabs, each tab forming one of said barbs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tail tube comprises a pair of opposed flanges, the flanges forming said end stop receiver. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the barbs, the flanges, and the tail tube are a unitary assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, including a guide wire catheter extending distally from the nose cone dilator through the capsule assembly, a sheath and a handle. ### Claim 13 A system for delivering and deploying an expandable prosthesis, the system comprising: a sheath having a lumen; a delivery catheter including a longitudinally extending guide wire catheter, the delivery catheter slidably disposed within the lumen of the sheath; an expandable prosthesis disposed on a proximal portion of the delivery catheter; a haemostatic device sealingly engaging the delivery catheter; and a capsule assembly at the proximal portion of the delivery catheter, the capsule assembly comprising: a capsule retriever having a plug portion and a tail portion, the plug portion having a lead-in surface, the tail portion having an elongate body extending proximally from the plug portion to an end stop feature receiver; a capsule tube having an end stop feature at a proximal end thereof and terminating in a distal end; and a capsule cavity inside the capsule tube, a proximal end of the expandable prosthesis being receivable in the cavity, wherein the capsule tube is slidably movable with respect to the capsule retriever from an first position in which the distal end of the capsule tube surrounds an opening into the capsule cavity to a second position in which the distal end of the capsule tube is adjacent to the lead-in surface of the plug portion and the end stop feature and end stop feature receiver are engaged. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system as claimed in claim 13 comprising a plug sleeve joined to the capsule plug portion and mounted coaxially around the guide wire catheter, the guide wire catheter slidably movable with respect to the plug sleeve and the capsule plug portion from the first position to the second position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The as claimed in claim 13, wherein the end stop feature comprises a capsule wall, the capsule wall defining a wall aperture. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The as claimed in claim 13, wherein the tail portion comprises a tail lock, the tail lock arranged to prevent the lead-in surface of the capsule plug portion re-entering the capsule tube from the second position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The as claimed in claim 16, wherein the tail lock comprises a barb, the barb extending proximally from the elongate body and terminating with a barb abutment surface, the barb abutment surface resiliently moveable from a relaxed position to a deflected position, the deflected position enabling the abutment surface to pass through the wall aperture. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The as claimed in claim 17 wherein, when the capsule tube is in the second position, the abutment surface is prevented from re-entering the wall aperture by abutment of the abutment surface against the end wall. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The as claimed in claim 18, wherein the tail portion comprises a tail tube, the tail tube defining a tail lumen. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The as claimed in claim 19, wherein the tail tube comprises a pair of opposed resiliently flexible tabs, each tab forming one of said barbs. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The as claimed in claim 20, wherein the tail tube comprises a pair of opposed flanges, the flanges forming said end stop receiver. ### Claim 22 A system for delivering and deploying an expandable prosthesis, the system comprising: a sheath having a lumen; a delivery catheter including a longitudinally extending guide wire catheter, the delivery catheter slidably disposed within the lumen of the sheath; an expandable prosthesis disposed on a proximal portion of the delivery catheter; a haemostatic device sealingly engaging the delivery catheter; and a capsule assembly at the proximal portion of the delivery catheter, the capsule assembly comprising: a capsule tube terminating in a distal end; a proximal capsule end wall, the end wall defining a wall aperture and an end stop feature; a capsule cavity generally bounded by the capsule tube and the proximal capsule end wall, a proximal end of the expandable prosthesis being receivable in the cavity; and a capsule retriever having a plug portion and a tail portion, the plug portion having a lead-in surface, the tail portion having an elongate body extending proximally from the plug portion through the wall aperture and having an end stop feature receiver, the end stop feature and end stop feature receiver mutually engagable.