Patent ID: 7582101

Claim:
An system for the endoluminal delivery of a therapeutic device, comprising: a therapeutic device having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; a pusher element sized and shaped for intraluminal delivery, said pusher element having a distal end portion; a decoupling assembly attached to said distal end portion of said pusher, said decoupling assembly including an energy-responsive element; said decoupling assembly including a retention element having an offset orientation at which the retention element retains said therapeutic device, said retention element also having a generally collapsed orientation; said decoupling assembly further including a thermally-responsive element having an expanded configuration that maintains said retention element in said offset orientation and having an altered configuration that does not maintain said retention element in said offset orientation; said thermally-responsive element, retention element and energy-responsive element are designed, sized and shaped relative to each other such that said thermally-responsive element assumes said altered configuration when energy is transmitted to said energy-responsive element and said retention element moves to its said collapsed orientation and no longer retains said therapeutic device; and a membrane encapsulating said thermally-responsive element.