Patent ID: 6123720
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A delivery system for implantation of a medical device in a vessel, comprising:an elongate flexible catheter having proximal and distal ends for delivering a balloon-expandable medical device to a location in a vessel;a balloon-expandable medical device having proximal and distal ends, the medical device surrounding and carried by the flexible catheter near the distal end of said catheter, the medical device being in a delivery configuration where the medical device has a reduced radius along an axial length of said medical device;a remotely operable retractable sleeve at least partially surrounding the medical device, the retractable sleeve capable of being removed subsequent to implantation of the catheter into a body lumen;a retaining and storage sleeve for retaining the medical device in approximately or substantially the delivery configuration, the retaining and storage sleeve comprising a sleeve for retaining the medical device in said delivery configuration, the retaining and storage sleeve surrounding the medical device, and being removable prior to insertion of the distal end of the catheter into a body lumen.