Abstract: A stent delivery system which has a catheter including an inflatable portion. A stent being disposed about the inflatable portion of the catheter, the stent having a contracted state and an expanded state. A pair of stent retaining sleeves which are partially composed of PTFE, each sleeve having a first end portion overlying a respective end of the stent, each sleeve having a second end portion respectively attached to the catheter, the sleeves retaining the stent to the catheter when the stent is in the contracted state, the stent being freed from the sleeves when the stent is placed in the expanded state. The sleeves being placed on the stent by heat shrinking. The inflatable portion of the balloon optionally having stepped compliant characteristics.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 28, 1999
Publication date:
October 18, 2001
Applicant:
William E. Anderson
Inventors:
LIXIAO WANG, JOHN JIANHUA CHEN, THE THOMAS TRINH TRAN, JON ST. GERMAIN, DAVID J. BLAESER