Patent ID: 7537606

Claim:
A deployment system for a stent graft to be deployed into an internal lumen of a patient, the deployment system comprising an introducer and a stent graft retained on the introducer, the introducer comprising a proximal end intended to be deployed within a patient in use and a distal end intended to remain outside the patient, a main guide wire catheter extending from a proximal end to a distal end, a nose cone at the proximal end of the guide wire catheter, an auxiliary guide wire catheter and an auxiliary guide wire extending therethrough extending from the distal end to the nose cone, the stent graft comprising a tubular body with a lumen therethrough and a side branch, the stent graft being retained on the main guide wire catheter distally of the nose cone with the main guide wire passing through the lumen of the stent graft and the auxiliary catheter extending through the stent graft and through the side branch and further extending to the nose cone, the side branch comprising diameter reducing ties with an associated trigger wire and trigger wire release mechanism, the diameter reducing ties being used to hold the diameter of the side arm in a diameter reduced condition against the auxiliary catheter, the auxiliary catheter comprising a bulge where it passes through the side arm with the diameter reducing ties either side of the bulge whereby the diameter reducing ties and bulge effectively grip the auxiliary guide wire catheter, a sheath to retain the stent graft in a retracted state on the introducer, whereby the auxiliary guide wire can be extended from the proximal end of the introducer so that it can be snared from a side artery to assist with deployment of the side branch of the stent graft into the side artery.