Patent ID: 7892275

Claim:
A stent graft introducer comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being able to be deployed into a patient to deploy a stent graft therein, a nose cone dilator at the proximal end of the stent graft introducer and a distally opening capsule on the nose cone dilator and a balloon guide extending into the capsule and affixed therein, a balloon catheter including an inflatable balloon at the proximal end of the balloon catheter, the balloon catheter being on the balloon guide, the balloon catheter being able to be advanced with respect to the nose cone dilator on the balloon guide such that the inflatable balloon is moved from a position away from the nose cone dilator to a position in which it is at least partially into the capsule in the nose cone dilator whereby upon completion of deployment of a stent graft, the balloon catheter and inflatable balloon thereon can be advanced over the balloon guide such that the inflatable balloon is at least partially into the nose cone and the balloon inflated therein to provide a smooth transition from the nose cone to a delivery sheath for retraction of the nose cone dilator through the deployed stent graft.