Patent ID: 8252034
Filing Date: 2012-08-28
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. A method of deploying an intravascular stent within a patient, the method comprising: delivering a distal end of a guiding catheter adjacent an ostium of a vessel to be stented; guiding a deployment site locator in a collapsed state through the delivered guiding catheter, the deployment site locator including a base and a plurality of rods affixed to the base; extending the plurality of rods from the distal end of the delivered guiding catheter such that the plurality of rods transition from the collapsed state to an expanded state in which the plurality of rods expand relative to one another to collectively define a maximum outer dimension greater than a maximum dimension of the ostium; determining a position of the ostium by contacting bodily structures of the patient apart from the vessel and immediately proximate the ostium with at least one of the plurality of rods and the deployment site locator in the expanded state; delivering a stent through the guiding catheter to a desired stent location, wherein the desired stent location is based upon the determined position of the ostium; deploying the stent at the desired stent location; and withdrawing the deployment site locator from the patient.