Patent ID: 8702781

Claim:
A method of delivering one or more prostheses to a treatment site, the method comprising: providing a catheter comprising: a sheath having a proximal end, a distal end, an opening at the distal end, and a passage in communication with the opening, the one or more prostheses being movably disposed in the passage; an expandable member near the distal end of the sheath, the one or more prostheses being positionable over the expandable member; and a valve member near the distal end of the sheath adapted for selectively retaining a first set of prostheses within the passage and to engage the one or more prostheses whereby the one or more prostheses may be moved relative to the expandable member by moving the sheath; wherein the valve member comprises an annular structure coupled to an inner surface of the sheath and having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the sheath so as to engage the first set of prosthesis therein; positioning the distal end of the sheath and the expandable member at the treatment site; and proximally retracting the sheath relative to the expandable member to move the valve member and thereby cause a first set of prostheses to pass through the opening of the sheath for expansion at the treatment site via the expandable member while retaining a second set of prostheses within the passage via engagement of the valve member with the second set of prostheses.