Patent ID: 7670365

Claim:
A stent delivery system comprising: a catheter, the catheter having a balloon, the balloon having an expanded configuration and an unexpanded configuration, a balloon proximal end, a balloon distal end, and a balloon length therebetween, wherein in the unexpanded configuration the balloon has a first diameter and in the expanded configuration a second diameter wherein the second diameter is greater than the first diameter, in the unexpanded configuration the balloon defining at least one fold; a stent, the stent being expandable from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, the stent being in the unexpanded state when the balloon is in the unexpanded configuration and in the expanded state when the balloon is in the expanded configuration; and a tether, the tether defining a length extending between a first end and a second end, when the balloon is in the unexpanded configuration the first end of the tether is engaged to a first location along the stent and the second end is engaged to a second location along the stent, a portion of the tether length adjacent to the first end and between the first and second ends being engaged to the at least one fold of the balloon, when the balloon is in the expanded configuration the portion of the tether length adjacent to the first end being disengaged from the balloon, wherein when the balloon is in the unexpanded configuration, the portion of the tether length engaged to the at least one fold extends substantially the length of the balloon under the at least one fold, such that the at least one fold is radially between the portion of the tether length and the stent.