Patent ID: 8372131

Claim:
A method for deploying a stent to provide access to a surgical site from a point of entry, comprising; providing a stent having a proximal end and a distal end, the stent being expandable from a collapsed first configuration to an expanded second configuration; providing a stent delivery system having; an elongated cannulated retractor; a mandrel having an elongated cannulated shaft surrounding the elongated cannulated retractor; a cannulated retention tip provided adjacent a distal end of the elongated cannulated shaft, said cannulated retention tip having an annular recess that surrounds the elongated cannulated shaft; a sleeve with a tapered distal end slidably mounted on the mandrel; a locking knob threadably mounted on the elongated cannulated shaft of the mandrel which when tightened a distal end portion of the sleeve engages a distal end portion of the stent within the annular recess of the cannulated retention tip to provide the stent in the collapsed first configuration; a locking nut threadably mounted on the mandrel to retain the locking knob; making an incision at a point of entry; creating an access passage through tissue from the point of entry to a surgical site; passing the stent in its collapsed first configuration through the access passage created through the tissue along the stent delivery system, wherein the stent is configured to extend from the point of entry to the surgical site; removing the retractor; removing the locking nut and the locking knob; sliding the sleeve toward a proximal end of the mandrel until the distal end portion of the sleeve clears the annular recess of the retention tip releasing the distal end portion of the stent; removing the remaining stent delivery system; applying an axially compressive force to the proximal end of the stent to cause the stent to expand to the expanded second configuration, wherein in the expanded second configuration the stent expands the passage and defines an open working channel from the point of entry to the surgical site, wherein the surgical site is viewable through the passage.