Patent ID: 7748248

Claim:
A system for reducing the diameter of a stent comprising: a stent contracting assembly, the stent contracting assembly comprising a plurality of fingers, the plurality of contracting fingers defining a diameter reduction chamber, the chamber having an open diameter configuration and a closed diameter configuration, the contracting assembly constructed and arranged to receive a stent into and through the chamber, wherein when the chamber is in the open diameter configuration the stent has a first diameter and when the chamber is in the closed diameter configuration the stent has a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter; wherein each finger includes a blade, wherein one or more of the blades are active blades and one or more of the blades are floating blades; wherein each finger having an active blade also includes a movement element, the active blade being actuatable relative to the movement element by an actuation mechanism engaged to the active blade, the actuation mechanism constructed and arranged to move each active blade relative to the movement element such that the plurality of fingers move from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration, each floating blade not having an actuation mechanism; each floating blade cooperating with the active blades during movement the plurality of fingers from the open diameter configuration to the closed diameter configuration.