Patent ID: 7887574

Claim:
A self-expanding stent delivery assembly comprising: an elongate member having a proximal region and a distal region, the proximal region including a hub assembly, the distal region having an outer tubular member having an inner surface and a distal end, the elongate member further including an inner elongate member disposed within the outer tubular member, the inner elongate member having an outer surface; wherein the inner elongate member is stationary relative to the hub assembly; wherein the outer tubular member is configured to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the inner elongate member, wherein rotational movement of the outer tubular member causes the distal end of the outer tubular member to move axially in a proximal direction toward the hub assembly such that the distance between the distal end of the outer tubular member and the hub assembly is variable; a first engagement member disposed along the inner surface of the outer tubular member; a second engagement member disposed along the outer surface of the inner elongate member, the second engagement member extending from a distal end of the inner elongate member towards a proximal end of the inner elongate member, the first engagement member interacting with the second engagement member; wherein at least one of the first and second engagement members comprises a helical element a self-expanding stent being expandable from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded deployed configuration, the self-expanding stent disposed within the outer tubular member and held in the compressed delivery configuration by engagement with the inner surface of the outer tubular member such that the outer tubular member restricts expansion of the self-expanding stent; wherein a proximal end of the self-expanding stent abuts the distal end of the inner elongate member at the same position from where the second engagement member extends towards the proximal end of the inner elongate member; wherein rotational movement of the outer tubular member causes axial movement of the distal end of the outer tubular member toward the hub assembly, deploying the stent out from the outer tubular member, whereby the self-expanding stent automatically reverts to the expanded deployed configuration upon deployment out from the outer tubular member.