Patent ID: 6607551
Filing Date: 2003-08-19
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A stent delivery system for providing support to a stent upon movement of the stent relative to a sheath, said stent delivery system comprising:a) a stent comprising an inner periphery that defines an interior space extending lengthwise along at least a part of said stent from a proximal end thereof, wherein said stent has at least one segment of relatively low column strength and is adapted to be radially compressed and loaded within said delivery system for introduction into said body lumen and to be expanded for deployment within said body lumen; b) a sheath overlying the compressed stent during introduction of the stent within the body lumen from a proximal access location to a distal deployment location; and c) a non-inflatable stabilizer disposed within the stent interior space and adapted to frictionally engage the stent inner periphery along the length of said stent from a distal to a proximal end of the stent in a manner that enables transmission of longitudinal force to said low-column-strength segment without causing collapse thereof.