Patent ID: 6849084

Claim:
A stent delivery system comprising: a catheter system including an elongate member including a chamber arranged at a distal end of said system, said chamber being structured and arranged to receive a preloaded stent; a sheath for covering said stent receiving section, said sheath having a proximal sheath portion extending over a proximal portion of said chamber and structured and arranged to be moveable in a proximal direction and a distal sheath portion extending over a distal portion of said chamber structured and arranged to be moveable in a distal direction; and means for controlling the movement of said proximal sheath portion in said proximal direction and means for controlling the movement of said distal sheath portion in said distal direction; wherein said means for controlling the movement of said proximal sheath portion in said proximal direction and the movement of said distal sheath portion in said distal direction comprises: a rotatable proximal housing; and a stationary distal housing operably coupled to said rotatable outer proximal housing; wherein said rotatable proximal housing includes an internal throat portion; and wherein said means for controlling the movement of said proximal sheath portion in said proximal direction and the movement of said distal sheath portion in said distal direction further comprises: an annular sleeve operably coupled to said throat portion of said rotatable proximal housing such that upon rotation of said rotatable proximal housing said annular sleeve moves in a distal direction.