Patent ID: 6623518
Filing Date: 2003-09-23
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A stent delivery system for delivering a stent to a deployment site in a body lumen of a patient's body, said stent delivery system comprising:an elongated, flexible, hollow outer tubular member having a distal end and a proximal end; an elongated, flexible, inner tubular member having a distal end and a proximal end; said outer tubular member sized to be passed through said body lumen with said distal end advanced to said deployment site and with said proximal end external to said body for manipulation by an operator; said inner member sized to be received within said outer tubular member with said inner member and said outer tubular member axially slideable relative to one another between a transport position and a deploy position; said inner tubular member having a stent attachment location at said distal end of said inner tubular member, said stent attachment location having a proximal end and a distal end, said stent attachment location covered by said outer tubular member when said inner and outer tubular members are in said transport position, said stent attachment location exposed when said inner and outer tubular members are in said deploy position, sliding relative motion between said inner member and said outer tubular member from said transport position to said deploy position exposing first said distal end of said stent attachment location, an intermediate portion of said stent attachment location and then said proximal end of said stent attachment location; a stent carried at said stent attachment location with a distal and proximal ends of said stent at said distal and proximal ends, respectively, of said stent attachment location; said proximal end of said stent including a stent geometry having at least one male interlock structure that interlocks with said inner member to restrict said stent from axial movement relative to said inner member until said distal end of said outer tubular member moves proximally to said proximal end of said stent attachment location as said inner and outer members move toward said deploy position; and wherein the stent includes cell defining structures that define cells having a cell length, and wherein the inner member interlocks with the stent at an interlock location external of the cells, the interlock location being positioned not more than one cell length away from the cells.