Patent ID: 8758425

Claim:
A stent graft introducer for comprising: a guide wire catheter extending from a proximal to a distal end, a nose cone dilator on the proximal end of the guide wire catheter, the nose cone dilator having a proximal end and a distal end and a longitudinal groove therein, a deployment catheter on the guide wire catheter, the guide wire catheter passing through a lumen in the deployment catheter and the deployment catheter being able to move longitudinally and rotationally with respect to the guide wire catheter, a handle at the distal end of the deployment catheter; a distal retention arrangement at the proximal end of the deployment catheter to retain the distal end of a stent graft thereon, a proximal retention arrangement at the distal end of the nose cone dilator to retain the proximal end of a stent graft thereon, a release arrangement associated with the handle comprising a distal release arrangement and a proximal release arrangement to separately release the distal retention arrangement and the proximal retention arrangement respectively, the distal retention arrangement at the proximal end of the deployment catheter comprising a proximally facing capsule for engaging a distally extending exposed stent on a stent graft and a sliding handle mechanism to allow movement of at least part of the deployment catheter independently of movement of the proximal retention arrangement, the sliding handle mechanism comprising a fixed handle associated with the handle and a sliding handle to which the deployment catheter and the capsule at the proximal end of the deployment catheter are fixed, whereby movement of the sliding handle with respect to the fixed handle withdraws the capsule distally from the exposed stent, wherein the distal release arrangement comprises a distal trigger wire extending from the distal retention arrangement to a distal trigger wire grip on the handle.