Patent ID: 7303580

Claim:
A stent delivery system, comprising: a generally cylindrical stent expandable from a collapsed state to an expanded state, the stent comprising a first portion having a first inner diameter and a second portion having a second inner diameter, the first inner diameter being smaller than the second inner diameter wherein the difference between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter of the stent is the same in both the collapsed state and the expanded state; and, a generally cylindrical holder comprising a first section having a first diameter and a second section having a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter, wherein a shoulder is formed between the first section and the second section of the holder, the shoulder being disposed distally adjacent the first portion of the stent; and, wherein the stent is collapsed onto the holder, the second diameter of the holder being larger than the first inner diameter of the collapsed stent and smaller than the second inner diameter of the collapsed stent, the shoulder overlapping the first portion of the stent.