Patent ID: 8080048
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A method of treating one or more lesions in a vessel, the vessel having a main branch and a side branch branching from the main branch at a bifurcation, the main branch having a lesion with a length, the method comprising: providing a delivery catheter having an expandable member and a plurality of stent segments disposed on the delivery catheter and axially positionable over the expandable member, the plurality of stent segments comprising a first, a second, and a third stent segment, wherein each of the plurality of stent segments when unexpanded are in direct contact with but not fixedly attached to respective adjacent stent segments, each of the plurality of stent segments are capable of being individually and fully expanded, and each of the plurality of stent segments together with respective adjacent segments are capable of being simultaneously expanded; positioning the delivery catheter in the main branch; selecting a length of a first stent according to the length of the lesion to be treated in the main branch; adjusting the length of the first stent according to the selected length while the delivery catheter remains in the vessel, wherein adjusting the length comprises selecting a first group of adjacent segments from the plurality of stents segments, wherein the first group includes at least the first and second stent segments; axially separating the first stent from a second stent when unexpanded so that the first and second stent are separately deployable, the second stent comprising at least the third stent segment; radially expanding the expandable member thereby radially expanding the first stent, wherein expanding the first stent comprises concurrently expanding the first group in the main branch while the second stent remains undeployed on the delivery catheter; positioning the delivery catheter in the side branch; and radially expanding the expandable member thereby radially expanding the second stent in the side branch, and wherein the delivery catheter remains in the vessel between radially expanding the first and second stents.