Patent ID: 8021410

Claim:
A method of using a minimally invasive delivery system for a medical device comprising: guiding a distal end of a catheter to an area for treatment, the catheter having a proximal end adjacent the user and opposite the distal end, the catheter comprising a sheath attached to a first handle and a shaft attached to a second handle, the shaft fitting within the sheath, the first and second handles located at the proximal end of the catheter; rotating the shaft and the sheath relative to each other while substantially maintaining the longitudinal relationship of the shaft and the sheath relative to each other to cause an implantable medical device, which is initially positioned within the sheath, to move in a distal direction relative to the sheath, the sheath thereby being capable of fully withdrawing from an entire length of the implantable medical device by rotating the shaft and the sheath relative to each other; and placing the implantable medical device beyond a distal end of the sheath and at the area for treatment.