Patent ID: 8721713

Claim:
A delivery system for percutaneously implanting a heart valve assembly at an implantation site within a patient, the delivery system comprising: an elongated catheter; a stop on the elongated catheter; a tip at a distal end of the elongated catheter; a sheath configured to slidably receive the elongated catheter; and a protective shield at a distal end of the sheath; wherein the sheath and protective shield are moveable relative to the elongated catheter and the stop between a first dosed position with a distal end portion of the protective shield being engaged with a proximal end portion of the tip and the heart valve assembly being positioned between the protective shield and the elongated catheter, and a second open position with the protective shield being sufficiently spaced from the heart valve assembly to permit expansion of the heart valve assembly; and wherein the stop is positioned on the elongated catheter and sized such that at the first dosed position the stop abuts a distal end of the sheath to stop motion of the sheath and the protective shield relative to the elongated catheter and to prevent the protective shield from overlapping the tip.