Patent ID: 7938852

Claim:
An apparatus for delivering a stent to a body lumen, said apparatus comprising: an elongate flexible shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therebetween; self-expanding tubular stent having a sidewall defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, wherein the apertures are adapted to allow fluid flow therethrough, the stent carried in the flexible shaft lumen at least partially in a radially collapsed configuration and being separated into a first portion having a desired length for deployment and a second portion that remains in the flexible shaft lumen in the collapsed configuration after the apparatus has been removed from the body lumen, wherein upon deployment the first portion is radially expanded into an expanded configuration everted relative to the collapsed configuration; a slidable member adjacent the flexible shaft for advancing the stent from the flexible shaft lumen so that said stent radially expands into engagement with an inner wall of the body lumen and applies a radially outward force against the inner wall; and a separation element adjacent the flexible shaft, the separation element adapted to separate the stent into the first portion which is released from the flexible shaft so as to remain in the body lumen while the second portion remains disposed at least partially in the flexible shaft lumen after the apparatus has been removed from the body lumen.