Claims
- 1. A kit of parts for the delivery of a stent within a body lumen comprising:
- a. an elongated sheath having proximal and distal ends, an outer lumen extending therein, a first port in the distal end, said first port being in fluid communication with the outer lumen;
- b. an elongated catheter adapted to be disposed within the outer lumen of the sheath and having proximal and distal ends, said elongated catheter having an outer member, an expandable member proximally adjacent to the distal end of the outer member which is adapted to receive on the exterior thereof an expandable stent, an inner lumen within said inner member which is adapted to receive a guiding member therein and which extends the entire length of said inner lumen;
- c. an elastic cone having a proximal end and a distal end, having a small aperture in said distal end fitted about the distal end of said catheter and a large aperture in said proximal end releasably fitted about the distal end of said sheath; and
- d. means to adjust the relative axial positions of the catheter and the sheath to expose the expandable member so that upon the expansion thereof an expandable stent disposed about the expandable member will thereby be expanded.
- 2. A system for the delivery of an expandable stent within a body lumen over a guiding member comprising:
- a. an elongated sheath having proximal and distal ends, an outer lumen extending therein, a first port in the distal end of said sheath, said first port being in fluid communication with the outer lumen;
- b. an elongated catheter disposed within the outer lumen of the sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, said elongated catheter having an outer member and an inner member, an expandable member proximally adjacent to the distal end of the outer member which is adapted to receive on the exterior thereof an expandable stent, and an inner lumen within said inner member which is adapted to slidably receive a guiding member therein, said inner lumen extending between a first port in the distal end of said inner member and a second port in the proximal end of said inner member, both of the ports being in fluid communication with said inner lumen of the catheter;
- c. an elastic cone having proximal and distal ends, having a small aperture in the distal end fitted about the distal end of said catheter and a large aperture in the proximal end releasably fitted about the distal end of said sheath; and
- d. means to adjust the relative axial positions of the catheter and sheath to expose the expandable member and the stent.
- 3. The stent delivery system of claim 2, wherein the sheath has a tapered portion on the distal end.
- 4. A kit of parts for the delivery of a stent within a body lumen comprising:
- a. an elongated sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, a flared portion proximate said distal end, a tapering portion proximal to said flared portion, an outer lumen extending therein, a first port in the distal end and a second port at said proximal end, both of the ports being in fluid communication with the outer lumen;
- b. an elongated catheter slidably disposed within the outer lumen of the sheath, an expandable member proximally adjacent to the distal end of the catheter which is to receive on the exterior thereof an expandable stent, an inner lumen extending the length of said elongated catheter for receiving a guiding member therein and which extends the entire length of the inner lumen;
- c. an elastic cone having a proximal end and a distal end and having a small aperture in the distal end and a large aperture in the proximal end thereof, the large aperture adapted to receive the distal end of the elongated sheath;
- d. a manipulator handle having a switch adapted to move axially in said handle, said switch attached to the proximal end of said sheath so that as said switch is moved proximally said sheath moves proximally to expose said stent and said expandable member.
- 5. The kit of parts as defined in claim 4, wherein said flared portion has at least one notch to increase flexibility.
- 6. The kit of parts as defined in claim 4, wherein said flared portion has a radiopaque marker near the distal end of said elongated sheath.
- 7. The kit of parts as defined in claim 4, wherein said elongated sheath has a radiopaque marker positioned proximal to said flared portion.
- 8. The kit of parts as defined in claim 4, wherein said flared portion has an outer diameter that is greater than said elongated sheath outer diameter.
- 9. A method of delivering an expandable stent to a desired location within a patient's body lumen which has a guidewire disposed therein with a proximal end extending out of the patient, the method comprising:
- a. providing an elongated sheath having proximal and distal ends, a first port in the distal end of said sheath;
- b. providing an elongated catheter disposed within said elongated sheath, said catheter having an expandable member proximally adjacent to said distal end of the catheter and having mounted on the exterior thereof an expandable stent, said catheter having an inner lumen adapted to slidably receive a guidewire therein, said guidewire extending the entire length of said inner lumen;
- c. providing an elastic cone having proximal and distal ends, having a small aperture in the distal end fitted about the distal end of said catheter and a large aperture in the proximal end releasably fitted about the distal end of said sheath;
- d. advancing said sheath and catheter over the guidewire through the body lumen to the desired location therein;
- e. adjusting the relative axial position of said sheath with respect to said catheter to release the proximal end of said cone from said sheath and expose said expandable stent on said expandable member;
- f. expanding said expandable member to thereby expand said stent mounted thereon at said desired location within the body lumen, after said expandable stent has been exposed;
- g. contracting said expandable member on the catheter; and
- h. withdrawing said catheter and sheath from the body lumen.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the expandable member is a balloon and wherein inflation fluid is directed to the interior of the balloon to expand the balloon and thereby expand the stent mounted thereon.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/085,959 filed Jul. 6, 1993, pending.
US Referenced Citations (20)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
85959 |
Jul 1993 |
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