Claims
- 1. An apparatus for deploying an endoluminal prosthesis comprising:
an elongated flexible sheath introducer having a near end, a remote end opposite said near end, and an axially extending sheath passage opening at said remote end and being dimensioned for receiving said prosthesis; an elongated push rod slidably received within said sheath passage for movement independently of said sheath introducer, said push rod having a near portion, a remote portion remote of said near portion, said remote portion of said push rod being positionable adjacent said prosthesis so that relative sliding between said sheath introducer and said push rod can deploy said prosthesis from said sheath passage opening; wherein said remote portion of said push rod has a different flexibility than the near portion of the push rod.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flexibility of said remote portion is greater than the flexibility of said near portion.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said remote portion of said push rod comprises a flexible helical coil member.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a containment means located on said remote portion of said push rod and adjacent said sheath passage, said containment means for containing said prosthesis prior to deployment.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said push rod has a length portion having a variable flexibility along said length portion; and
wherein said push rod is relatively more flexible towards said remote portion and relatively less flexible towards said near portion.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said length portion comprises an intermediate flexible region between said near portion an said remote portion; and
wherein said intermediate region provides a relatively smooth transition in flexibility between said near portion and said remote portion.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a containment means located on said remote portion of said push rod and adjacent said sheath passage, said containment means for containing said prosthesis prior to deployment.
- 8. An apparatus for deploying an endoluminal prosthesis comprising:
an elongated flexible sheath introducer having a near end, a remote end opposite said near end, and an axially extending sheath passage opening at said remote end and being dimensioned for receiving said prosthesis and maintaining said prosthesis in a radially compressed condition; an elongated flexible and longitudinally compressible push rod slidably received within said sheath passage for movement independently of said sheath introducer, said push rod having a near portion, a remote portion remote of said near portion, said remote portion of said push rod being positionable adjacent said prosthesis so that relative sliding between said sheath introducer and said push rod can deploy said prosthesis from said sheath passage opening.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said push rod comprises a compression spring.
- 10. An apparatus for deploying an endoluminal graft comprising:
an elongated flexible sheath introducer having a near end, a remote end opposite said near end, and an axially extending sheath passage opening at said remote end and being dimensioned for receiving said graft and maintaining said graft in a radially compressed condition; an elongated push rod slidably received within said sheath passage for movement independently of said sheath introducer, said push rod having a near portion, a remote portion remote of said near portion, said remote end of said push rod being positionable adjacent said graft so that relative sliding between said sheath introducer and said push rod can deploy said prosthesis from said sheath passage opening wherein said push rod comprises a spring member.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said push rod comprises a compression spring.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said push rod comprises a flexible compressible helical coil member.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said push rod further comprises a containment means for containing said prosthesis during deployment to provide uniform movement of said push rod and said prosthesis out of said sheath passage opening.
- 14. An apparatus for deploying an endoluminal graft comprising:
an elongated flexible sheath introducer having a near end, a remote end opposite said near end, and an axially extending sheath passage opening at said remote end and being dimensioned for receiving said graft and maintaining said graft in a radially compressed condition; an elongated push rod slidably received within said sheath passage for movement independently of said sheath introducer, said push rod having a near portion, a remote portion remote of said near portion, said remote end of said push rod being positionable adjacent said graft so that relative sliding between said sheath introducer and said push rod can deploy said prosthesis from said sheath passage opening wherein said push rod comprises a helical coil.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a containment means located on said remote portion of said push rod and adjacent said sheath passage, said containment means for containing said prosthesis prior to deployment.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/017,474 filed Feb. 2, 1998, which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/710,460 filed Sep. 18, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,917 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/549,880 filed Oct. 30, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,195.
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09405562 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09949813 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
Continuations (4)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09949813 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
Child |
10077956 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Parent |
08710460 |
Sep 1996 |
US |
Child |
09017474 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Parent |
09017474 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Child |
09525740 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Parent |
08710460 |
Sep 1996 |
US |
Child |
09017474 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09017474 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Child |
09405562 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Parent |
08549880 |
Oct 1995 |
US |
Child |
08710460 |
Sep 1996 |
US |
Parent |
08549880 |
Oct 1995 |
US |
Child |
08710460 |
Sep 1996 |
US |