Patent ID: 8764811

Claim:
A stent graft delivery system comprising: a spindle; and a tapered tip movable in a distal direction relative to the spindle, wherein the tapered tip includes a control release sleeve that forms a proximal end of the tapered tip, the control release sleeve having a cylindrical wall portion and a control release portion proximally extending from the cylindrical wall portion, the control release portion being a partially cutaway cylinder with an arc-shaped cross-section, wherein a proximal end of the cylindrical wall portion defines a first circumferential edge portion and a proximal end of the partially cutaway cylinder defines a second circumferential edge portion that is longitudinally spaced from the first circumferential edge portion and wherein the spindle includes at least a first spindle pin and a second spindle pin, wherein prior to distal advancement of the tapered tip relative to the spindle, a first longitudinal distance between the first spindle pin and the first circumferential edge portion is less than a second longitudinal distance between the second spindle pin and the second circumferential edge portion, and wherein the control release sleeve is configured to radially restrain proximal apices of a stent graft such that distal advancement of the tapered tip relative to the spindle distally advances the control release sleeve to achieve sequential release of the proximal apices.