Patent ID: 8657867

Claim:
A delivery device, comprising: a stent device, which is radially expandable from a radially reduced, delivery configuration to a radially expanded, deployment configuration; a restraining sheath mounted coaxially over the stent device for maintaining the stent device in the delivery configuration; the restraining sheath having a line of weakness extending axially; a pull member to be pulled so as to split the restraining sheath at the line of weakness and withdraw the restraining sheath from over the stent device, wherein: the pull member and the line of weakness are located on opposing sides of the restraining sheath; the pull member has an inner part extending inside of the restraining sheath and an outer part extending outside of the restraining sheath and a wrap around portion therebetween for wrapping around an axial end of the restraining sheath for radially capturing the restraining sheath between the inner and outer parts; the pull member forms a hook at one end and an opposing end provides a pull end to be pulled in order to affect splitting and withdrawing of the restraining sheath, wherein the hook is for radially capturing an inside and an outside of the restraining sheath between the inner and outer parts thereof; and the delivery device comprises a storage member adjacent an axial end of the restraining sheath, which includes a recess so that the hook is stored in a reduced profile or collapsed configuration for delivery.