Patent ID: 8197442

Claim:
An interventional medical device system operable while within a body vessel, comprising: an elongated introducer having a lumen, said introducer being adapted for administration within a body vessel; a pusher component positioned within said lumen of the elongated introducer, said pusher component having a longitudinal axis and including a generally hollow tubular portion and a slotted section having an outer surface, the slotted section having a plurality of longitudinal slots each having a length greater than a width thereof, said length being substantially parallel to the pusher component longitudinal axis; an arcuate radiopaque marker having an outer surface and an inner surface, said radiopaque marker overlaying and fixedly secured to at least a portion of said outer surface of the slotted section, said radiopaque marker being in a connected condition at which the marker inner surface engages the slotted section outer surface and the marker is clamped down on and radially compressed onto a thus partially collapsed slotted section; and wherein said outer surface of the radiopaque marker as thus assembled at its said connected condition onto the partially collapsed slotted section outer surface is dimensionally reduced from a pre-assembly, radiopaque marker member that is dimensionally larger than said marker outer surface as thus assembled onto the slotted section outer surface, and the marker at its connected condition is substantially flush with an outer surface of the tubular portion immediately proximal of the radiopaque marker, immediately distal of the radiopaque marker, or both immediately proximal and immediately distal of the radiopaque marker.