Patent ID: 7993384

Claim:
A system for delivering and deploying a medical device within a patient, the system comprising: a delivery catheter including an inner member having a region for mounting the medical device thereon, a restraining member co-axially disposed over the inner member and the medical device, the restraining member being adapted for axial movement with respect to the inner member and an outer sheath which extends co-axially over a portion of the restraining member, the outer sheath being attachable to the entry point of the patient to provide a conduit for the delivery catheter to prevent the distal end of the inner member from moving distally when the restraining member is retracted, each of the inner member, restraining member and outer sheath having a side exit opening formed therein which cooperatively form a guide wire lumen for receiving a guide wire, wherein the side exit port of the restraining member is located longitudinally away from the location of the side exit port of the outer sheath to define a passage between the outer sheath and the restraining member that extends from the side exit opening of the restraining member to the side exit opening of the outer sheath, the passage allowing a guide wire to extend therethrough and wherein the location of the side exit openings on the inner member, restraining member and outer sheath are arranged to prevent a guide wire from moving when the restraining member is being retracted; and a control handle attached to the delivery catheter and adapted to retract the restraining member to uncover the medical device, the control handle having a rotatable thumbwheel connected to a retraction mechanism, the retraction mechanism including a gear rack which is slidable within a channel formed in the control handle and a spur gear which directly engages the gears of the gear rack, the thumbwheel having an actuating gear attached thereto which engages the spur gear to cause the gear rack to move linearly within the channel when the thumbwheel is rotated, the inner member having a proximal end attached to the control handle and the restraining member having a proximal end attached to the retraction mechanism, wherein rotation of the thumbwheel causes linear movement of the retraction mechanism to proximally retract the restraining member to uncover the medical device while the inner member remains stationary.