Patent ID: 8603156

Claim:
A system for temporarily reducing the diameter of a stent graft, the system comprising: a stent graft of biocompatible graft material having a first end, a second end, self expanding stent framework fastened to the graft material and supporting the graft material along its length; a stent graft diameter reduction arrangement comprising at least one release wire and a plurality of diameter reducing tie segments on the stent graft from the first end to the second end, the release wire extending longitudinally and in only a single half circumferential turn along the stent graft from substantially one side of the stent graft at the first end of the stent graft to substantially an opposite side of the stent graft at the second end of the stent graft; wherein the plurality of diameter reducing tie segments are longitudinally spaced from one another and at least partially circumferentially offset from one another such that the segments substantially follow the single half circumferential turn along the stent graft; and wherein each diameter reducing tie segment is engaged with a portion of the stent framework and reduces the diameter of that portion of the stent framework, and each diameter reducing tie segment is engaged with a portion of the release wire such that the stent graft is held in at least a partially constrained configuration along the length of the stent graft.