Patent ID: 9737426
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. An endograft delivery system, comprising: a catheter defining a catheter axis and opposing proximal and distal ends, the proximal and distal ends of the catheter defining a proximal direction and a distal direction along the catheter axis, wherein the distal end of the catheter comprises— an inner tube having a distal end and an inner lumen extending within the inner tube, the distal end of the inner tube having a transverse slot communicating with the inner lumen, the transverse slot extending in the proximal direction; a nose cone engaging the distal end of the inner tube, the nose cone having a cylindrical wall extending in the proximal direction to a cylindrical wall edge to cover at least a portion of the distal end of the inner tube and define a first internal volume within the cylindrical wall of the nose cone; a pusher tube slidably disposed over the inner tube, the pusher tube having a distal end at least in part disposed within the first internal volume of the nose cone, the distal end of the pusher tube having a transverse opening communicating with the inner tube; and a sheath slidably disposed over the pusher tube and having a distal end terminating at a sheath edge disposed to face the cylindrical wall edge of the nose cone to define a separation therebetween, the distal end of the sheath and the pusher tube defining a second internal volume therebetween that communicates with the first internal volume to define a delivery chamber; and an endograft device disposed within the delivery chamber of the catheter, the endograft device comprising an expandable frame in a low-profile configuration within the delivery chamber and configured to expand to an expanded configuration when the separation between the sheath edge and the cylindrical wall edge is sufficiently increased to uncover the endograft device, wherein the catheter and the endograft together define a guidewire path configured to direct a guidewire through the endograft delivery system, wherein the guidewire path comprises a proximal end extending in the proximal direction within the inner lumen of the inner tube and a distal end extending through the separation between the sheath edge and the cylindrical wall edge of the nose cone, the guidewire path further passing through the transverse slot of the inner tube and the transverse opening of the pusher tube proximate to the separation.