Patent ID: 7967138

Claim:
A packaging system for a medical device, the system comprising: a delivery catheter having an outer tubular component and an inner component slidably disposed within the outer tubular component; a shipping container sealingly attached to a distal end of the outer tubular component of the delivery catheter and filled with a storage solution, wherein the inner component of the delivery catheter extends within the shipping container; a prosthetic tissue valve in an expanded configuration disposed in the storage solution within the shipping container and positioned to surround the inner component of the delivery catheter that extends within the shipping container, the prosthetic valve including a stent-like frame with a band that longitudinally-extends from a proximal end of the stent-like frame, wherein the band includes an eyelet or a broadened paddle-like area at a proximal end thereof; and an attachment assembly for releasably attaching the prosthetic tissue valve to the delivery catheter, wherein the attachment assembly includes a c-shaped locking collar for attaching a proximal end of the prosthetic tissue valve to the inner component, the locking collar having first projections surrounding a distal end thereof that define a plurality of slots therebetween, wherein at least one slot is sized to receive the band of the stent-like frame therethrough with the slot being narrower than the eyelet or broadened paddle-like area of the band proximal end and wherein the locking collar includes second projections protruding from a first longitudinal end surface thereof that align with and have an interference fit within corresponding holes in a second longitudinal end surface thereof, wherein the second projections fit within the holes to attach the locking collar to the inner component.