Patent ID: 8372133

Claim:
A delivery system for the placement of a tubular implant within a patient, comprising: a tubular implant having a first diameter when in an unstressed configuration and a second diameter less than the first diameter when in a compressed configuration; and a delivery device, comprising: an inner shaft comprising a distal end configured for insertion into a patient and a proximal end configured to remain outside of the patient when the distal end is inserted into the patient, at least a portion of said inner shaft having a diameter less than the first diameter of the tubular implant when the tubular implant is in an unstressed configuration; a first expandable member slidably disposed about said inner shaft, said first expandable member comprising an open distal end having a cross-sectional dimension greater than the first diameter of the tubular implant the open distal end of said first expandable member configured for placement therein of at least a portion of the tubular implant when in an unstressed configuration, said first expandable member comprising a proximal end having a cross-sectional dimension less than the first diameter of the tubular implant when the tubular implant is in an unstressed configuration; a second expandable member affixed to said inner shaft said second expandable member comprising an open distal end; and a tubular outer shaft slidably disposed about said inner shaft, said tubular outer shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the diameter of said tubular outer shaft at its distal end is less than a cross-sectional dimension of said first expandable member at the distal end of said first expandable member, and the diameter of said tubular outer shaft at its distal end is greater than a cross-sectional dimension of said first expandable member at the proximal end of said first expandable member; wherein the tubular implant is removably disposed between the inner shaft and the tubular outer shaft and between the first and second expandable members; wherein each of the first and second expandable members consists of a material selected from the group consisting of mesh material and woven material.