Patent ID: 8439962

Claim:
A stent delivery device comprising: a catheter capable of removably mounting a radially expandable endoprosthesis stent in a compressed condition; and a segmented sheath capable of overlying said compressed stent and capable of restraining said stent from radial expansion, said segmented sheath comprising a plurality of adjacent flaps that in combination are capable of completely encircling said compressed stent, each of said flaps being axially slidable with respect to all other said flaps; wherein a first flap of the plurality of adjacent flaps has a projection running along at least part of its length, and said projection is adapted to engage a corresponding track on an adjacent second flap of the plurality of adjacent flaps to form a slidable coupling that permits said first and second flaps to slide axially with respect to one another; and wherein each of said first and second flaps has a longitudinal edge adjacent to the longitudinal edge of the other of said first and second flaps, and wherein said adjacent longitudinal edges are connected by at least one of said slidable couplings.