Patent ID: 11883287
Assignee: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 8:
9. A method for delivering an expandable implant to a body location, the method comprising:
delivering the expandable implant within an outer sheath assembly of a delivery system toward the body location, the expandable implant having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the expandable implant is in a compressed configuration within the outer sheath assembly and is releasably retained by an inner retention member positioned at a distal end of an inner shaft assembly;
activating a pull wire attached to a steerable rail shaft of a rail assembly of the delivery system to steer the delivery system, the rail assembly being located within an outer lumen of the outer sheath assembly, wherein activating the pull wire provides at least one bend to the steerable rail shaft to steer the delivery system toward the body location,
wherein the inner shaft assembly is positioned within a lumen of the rail assembly;
moving the outer sheath assembly and the inner retention member distally together relative to the rail assembly to position the expandable implant at the body location while the expandable implant remains in a radially compressed configuration within the outer sheath assembly; and
proximally retracting the outer sheath assembly relative to the inner retention member in order to at least partially expand the expandable implant from the radially compressed configuration.